MOSCOW, May 12 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded two prestigious medals to close relatives of one of his most powerful allies, Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Nikolai Patrushev, the Kremlin said on its Web site.
By decree, Putin awarded the Order of Honour to 26-year-old Andrei Patrushev, adviser to the chairman of state-controlled oil firm Rosneft and younger son of the head of the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB.
The Kremlin chief also awarded an Order of Friendship to 62-year-old Viktor Patrushev, an executive at Russia's third-largest mobile phone company MegaFon and older brother of Nikolai Patrushev.
Under President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, the Kremlin has rapidly strengthened its control of many sectors of economy. Former security service and defence officials have moved into key posts in many enterprises.
In Rosneft, this group is represented by the company's chairman, Igor Sechin, a former KGB officer who is also the deputy head of Putin's administration.
Sechin appointed Andrei Patrushev as his adviser only seven months ago. Andrei Patrushev had previously worked in the FSB's oil department. Rosneft became Russia's top oil producer and refiner this month after snapping up most assets of bankrupt oil company YUKOS, whose owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky is now serving an eight-year prison term for fraud and tax evasion.
Andrei's Patrushev uncle Viktor, a deputy director in one of MegaFon's regional offices, was awarded the Order of Honour last year.
Swedish-Finnish telecom operator TeliaSonera has a minority stake in MegaFon.
Both decrees said the awards, some of the highest ranking in Russia, were granted for work-related achievements and many years of conscientious work.
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