Putin's clampdown on oil giant Yukos has investors running scared

As much as $12bn (£6.7bn) is expected to be taken out of Russia this year, in the wake of the Yukos affair. Official estimates for capital flight out of Russia put the figure at nearly six times last year's $2.3bn. The capital flight has been sparked by the targeting by Russian tax authorities of Yukos, the Russian oil company, which provides 2 per cent of the world's oil. It is feared other companies could be next. This weekend Yukos warned it might have to cut production next month if Russian authorities do not give it more time to pay billions of dollars of backdated taxes they claim it owes. The tax ministry has levied 100bn rubles ($3.4bn) of backdated taxes for 2000. The deadline for payment is tomorrow. Similar taxes could be charged for 2001 and 2002. The company said last week that it was cutting spending by $700m a year so it could continue normal operations, as tax officials have frozen accounts. Officials "swept" $900m from the accounts last month to meet the back-dated 2000 bill. The company must also pay current taxes.