Yelena Tregubova: In Putin's Russia, the law of the bandit has prevailed

The attack on Andrei Kalitin exposes the atmosphere that President Vladimir Putin has created in Russia. Bandit law prevails and people are able to intimidate their critics and eliminate their opponents with force.

On the day of Anna Politkovskaya's funeral, Mr Putin described the investigative journalist and her work as "insignificant". If one of the most well-respected journalists is insignificant, what does that say about the others? It is a sign that the government does not care and will not protect them.

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Politkovskaya was first targeted when she was poisoned on a flight to cover the Beslan school hostage tragedy. The second time, those who wanted her dead succeeded when she was murdered in the lift of her Moscow flat last year.

It is also a sign to the political, social and business elites that no one is safe. Mr Putin is removing opponents from the political landscape in time for the presidential elections next year. It looks as if the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, in London was intended as a message: "If you do not agree with us you will become our enemy and you will be killed."

And it is not just about Mr Putin and his opponents. When people see that the authorities solve their problems with force, businessmen think: "Why can't I do the same?" In persecuting their political detractors and in turning a blind eye to attacks on journalists, the Kremlin is giving a green light to those who wish to eliminate their opponents.

We are seeing a return to the Wild West days of the early Yeltsin era. Tony Blair's tough talk about standing up to Russia was just empty rhetoric. International businesses - British businesses - simply roll over and accept these bandit rules, such is their fear of being frozen out.

The G8 summit showed how impotent Western leaders are in the face of Mr Putin's provocations. They continue to smile and shake his hand. Only Mr Blair spoke out (and only because he is leaving office soon and has nothing to lose).Mr Putin and his regime understand nothing but money; only tough economic sanctions would have any effect on him.

This lack of action is not just immoral, but also potentially harmful to the rest of the world. How long before the killers target foreign journalists and foreign business opponents?

I have no reason to think that the situation in Russia will improve. It has deteriorated rapidly since the murder of Politkovskaya and is worsening day by day. Freedom of the press is a key indicator of the conditions that exist in a society. In Russia, journalists who speak out against the regime or against big business are in mortal danger. The Kremlin has made it clear that anyone wishing to silence their critics can do so.

Yelena Tregubova is a Russian journalist seeking asylum in Britain.