There may be a new boss in the Kremlin, but the Byzantine politics that rage behind its walls continue. Recent moves against two of Russia's most prominent businessmen -- the "oligarchs" -- have kindled speculation about who is making policy and to what end. Is President Vladimir Putin cleaning up the corruption that is a dead weight on Russia's economy or is he going after his enemies? Is Mr. Putin even in charge? There are no clear answers, but the evidence leads to troubling conclusions about the new president's tolerance of and support for a free press and other vital elements of democracy.

Alarm bells started ringing last week when Mr. Vladimir Gusinsky, head of the Media-Most group, Russia's only independent national media conglomerate, was arrested and jailed for three days on charges of fraud and embezzlement. After protests from businessmen both within and outside Russia, he was released. Then, earlier this week, the Moscow prosecutor's office filed suit to reverse the privatization of Russia's largest metal company, which was sold to another oligarch, Mr. Vladimir Potanin.

While there have been complaints about the economic power exercised by the oligarchs and the way in which they acquired their vast holdings, these moves are not as simple as they seem. There are three possible explanations.