VLADIMIR PUTIN has instructed a Russian agency charged with protecting the security of the country’s top politicians to register two internet domain names which hint at a potential challenge for the presidency.

The Federal Bodyguard Service registerd the Cyrillic-script addresses Putin2012.rf and Putin-2012.rf late last month, but has not registered similar names in respect of current President, Dmitry Medvedev, according to the Russian domain registry Reg.ru.

The .rf domain is the anglicised version of a new .рф domain being introduced as part of a worldwide movement to allow web addresses to be written in alphabets other than the Latin one.

The equivalent domains at the Latin alphabet equivalent, .ru, and at the international .com address are held by other people appearing to be squatting on the domain.

Putin was president for two terms between 2000 and 2008, but was constitutionally debarred from seeking a third successive term. His hand-picked successor Medvedev was elected virtually unopposed in his place.

The two have said they would agree privately as to who would seek the United Russia party’s presidential nomination in 2012, and have insisted they will not run against each other. They said, however, they would not discuss the matter until at least 2012.

A Russian newspaper claimed in July that it had convinced the management of the Sealife aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany to get Paul the ‘Psychic’ Octopus to predict which of the two would run, though it has pledged not to reveal the winner until the election takes place in 2012.