TODAY: Navalny trial announced; new law to protect procurement; Putin orders Gazprom to revisit Yamal pipeline plan in potential blow to Ukraine; Pussy Riot Alyokhina to be transferred; prison guard given suspended sentence for murder; VTB’s Tele2 deal approved; Bazhenov.

A provincial court has announced that the widely criticised and ‘politically motivated’ trial of Alexei Navalny is to begin on April 17.  RFE/RL reports that the trial may end up leading to a ‘likely preordained’ 10-year sentence, and explains Navalny’s efforts to document his own trial online, sharing as much evidence as possible and urging the public to decide his guilt or innocence for themselves.  The Deputy Prime Minister is alleging that only roughly half of Russia’s employed population work in ‘transparent’ sectors.  New legislation to be signed ‘within days’ by President Vladimir Putin will supposedly allow the government to eliminate corruption in state procurement.  Vladimir Putin is ordering Gazprom to revisit its plan to build a second section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, which had previously been scrapped in connection with Nord Stream.  Such a move would also give Gazprom the upper hand in its current gas dispute with Ukraine by boosting the volume of gas it could transport to Europe.  Gazprom is under investigation by the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service for allegedly restricting competition in pipe supply.