RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 31, 2012

According to investigators, the man who confessed to killing two women in a central Russian city says he scrawled a message in blood at the murder scene that read ‘FREE PUSSY RIOT’ (image) because he wanted to mislead investigators. Brian Whitmore notes the speed with which the pro-Kremlin media used the case to further tarnish the group’s image. Police in Russia’s Voronezh region are being taken off the roads late at night in order to curb accidents caused by officers. State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov has opened the doors to one of his companies in a bid to refute allegations of improper conduct. The Guardian has compiled a Q&A relating to the Boris Berezovsky / Roman Abramovich court case. A verdict is expected this afternoon on whether or not Abramovich will have to pay his former partner $6 billion.