PRESS DIGEST - Russia - July 9

MOSCOW, July 9 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Moscow labour inspectors have launched a probe into how TNK-BP and its chief executive Robert Dudley have improved upon violations of local labour legislation, revealed last month.

- Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) will have to pay up to $20 billion instead of planned $8 billion in 2009 to buy natural gas from Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries to ensure deliveries.

- Rosneft (ROSN.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) in seeking additional investments to carry out expensive explorations, the daily says, commenting on reports that the state oil company is in talks with Spanish oil company Repsol (REP.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) on selling a 24 percent stake in the Sakhalin-3 project.

VEDOMOSTI