MOSCOW, Oct 31: Russian share prices staged a hesitant recovery on Friday as investors returned gingerly to the market after a dramatic collapse provoked by the freezing of a major stake in embattled oil giant Yukos.

The benchmark RTS index ended the day up 1.9 per cent, lifted by news that President Vladimir Putin had chosen a loyal aide to replace his powerful chief of staff Alexander Voloshin, who resigned in protest at the Yukos crackdown.

The stock market had plunged 8.14 per cent on Thursday after prosecutors impounded a 44-per cent stake belonging to jailed Yukos chief executive Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his allies.

Analysts said the move marked a major escalation of the campaign against Russia’s largest oil producer.—AFP