TODAY: Putin blocks ad income for independent television channels, ends Gazprom pipeline monopoly; MH17 an accident, but U.S. still blames Russia; Litvinenko snub canceled out by British exports and oligarch party donations; Kudrin advises against military intervention in Ukraine; Russia to rebuild Crimean military; Moscow metro head fired.

President Vladimir Putin signed so many bills into law yesterday that it called for a list; one of the new measures will cut off income to independent television channels by banning advertising on subscription channels – excluding ‘compulsory’ state channels.  Another of Putin’s orders could reduce the dominance of Gazprom over the country’s exports by ending its monopoly over access to pipelines in Siberia and the Far East.  It is thought that Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down accidentally, but the U.S. nonetheless blames Russia for ‘creating the conditions’ that allowed the crash to happen.  Western powers are sending mixed messages regarding their position with Russia: Britain’s plan to hold a public inquiry into the death of former FSB official Alexander Litvinenko amounts to ‘an open snub’ to Russia, says the Moscow Times.  But despite this, and Britain’s fears about violence by pro-separatist rebels in Ukraine, the U.K. is still exporting millions of dollars worth of arms to Russia, and its prime minister is under fire to return hefty party donations from Russian oligarchs.  France is defying the wishes of its U.K. and U.S. allies by confirming its plans to deliver a warship to Russia.  The European Union has decided it will expand sanctions against Russia to target Putin’s inner circle, but as yet has taken no concrete steps.