Andrei Illarionov, the outspoken senior economic adviser to Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, said yesterday that the sale of Yuganskneftegas - the main production asset of Yukos oil company - was the "scam of the year" that demonstrated "the lack of rules" in Russia.

In one of the most stinging attacks on the policies of his boss, Mr Illarionov said the past year had marked "a complete change of the model of economic and social development", illustrated by the destruction of "the best national oil company - Yukos".