TNK-BP chief executive flees Russia

The beleaguered chief executive of BP's Russian oil venture TNK-BP, Robert Dudley, has left Russia after an "orchestrated campaign of harassment". BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward said Dudley will run the company "temporarily" from outside Russia, after he was the victim of an intense campaign of harassment by TNK-BP’s Russian co-owners, Alfa, Access and Renova (AAR).

In an emotional statement, Dudley said the row had left him unable to perform his duties. Hayward expressed full support for Dudley, describing him as an outstanding CEO, and insisted that the company would use "every means at its disposal that remains well within the law" to resist AAR’s efforts to seize management control of TNK-BP.