Moscow vodka plant raided twice

Armed guards have seized control of management offices at one of the main vodka distilleries in Russia only hours after a raid by tax police investigating the company.

The Kristall distillery in Moscow, in which the state has a majority shareholding, manufactures the world-famous Stolichnaya brand of vodka.

The guards were reported to be acting on behalf of the new managing director, Aleksandr Romanov who's been involved in a bitter power-struggle among the directors of the distillery.

Mr Romanov has accused the government of trying to bar him from the plant and reimpose full state control.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service