TODAY: Rights activist Natalya Estemirova found dead hours after abduction; the US and EU both express regret and urge protection for rights advocates; Putin silent.  Russia’s superannuated military struggling to keep up? US soldiers engage in exercises with Georgians in show of solidarity.

Human rights activist Natalya Estemirova, Memorial’s representative to Chechyna and winner of the first annual Anna Politkovskaya Award in 2007 for her work as a human rights defender, was abducted in Grozny upon leaving her home.  Her body was found some hours later off a highway.  The slain activist was ‘a central source of information on abuses in Chechnya’, according to the New York Times, and her recent work had focused upon kidnappings that had taken place under the aegis of the Chechen President, Ramzan A. Kadyrov.  The newspaper reports that she had once been threatened in a personal meeting with Kadyrov after criticizing a law requiring women to wear headscarves.   Memorial’s Chairman Oleg Orlov has said ‘I know, I am sure of it, who is guilty for the murder of Natalia… His name is Ramzan Kadyrov’.   Kadyrov has, according to the Washington Post, called the killing ‘cynical’ and ‘provocative’ and promised to bring the murderers to justice.  A Kremlin spokeswoman has said President Dmitry Medvedev is ‘outraged‘ and has ordered an investigation.