The new leaders of Kyrgyzstan, who snatched power in a sudden uprising this week, were on Friday struggling to restore order amid looting and street violence in Bishkek, the capital.

The fragile new authorities received cautious international support, with president Vladimir Putin saying he hoped Russia could develop good relations with the new leadership, although he also condemned the uprising as “illegitimate”. The European Union and the US held back from offering any endorsements, calling instead for law and order and peaceful progress to democracy.