MOSCOW, Aug 26 (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin moved quickly and publicly to set the news agenda after the twin plane crashes, but critics say the Kremlin response bore signs of information lock-down typical of past domestic catastrophes.
Early Wednesday, a few hours after the planes went down, the Kremlin issued a statement saying Putin, on holiday at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, had ordered security agencies to investigate the causes "without delay."
Soon after lunchtime, Putin's spokesman told media the president had interrupted his vacation and was flying urgently back to Moscow to supervise organization of the probe.
And within a few hours, there was Putin in a black suit and tie on national television, chairing an emergency meeting at the Kremlin of the newly-formed state investigative panel and demanding quick and "honest" work and care for the bereaved.
A well-executed public relations performance that would be expected of any national leader in a crisis, and one that contrasted markedly with Putin's mystifying, week-long silence after the Kursk nuclear submarine sank four years ago, killing everyone aboard.
Some analysts said the Russian leader brought a timely and pro-active presence to the Kremlin that offered no explanation for what brought the planes down but instead assured the public that someone was in charge, the mystery would be solved and its victims cared for.
"The measures taken by Putin and by security forces are similar to those taken after September 11" by the US leadership, said Alexei Kirkorov of the Carnegie Moscow Center.
He cited in particular Putin's decision to establish a single authority -- in this case, the interior ministry -- for ensuring airport security and gave the government "average" marks for its response.
That would seem like praise in a country where leaders have a tradition of going to ground in crises.
Critics acknowledged that the Kremlin moved fast to demonstrate action to the public in the hours following the separate but near-simultaneous crashes of the two jetliners, which claimed 89 lives.
They charged however that this action was heavy on spin and light on facts and was in any case too little too late.
"Journalists had a hard time gathering news yesterday," said Oleg Panfilov, head of the Moscow-based Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations.
"Information was given only reluctantly," he said.
Panfilov expressed dismay that government investigators had still not publicly prioritized any of the crash theories -- terrorism among them -- under investigation and said Putin still fell short conversing with the nation.
"Putin completely forgets that civil society exists," he said. The Russian leader, a former KGB agent, "should have dialogued with society... But KGB officers are not taught to dialogue with society."
On Thursday, the daily Izvestia quoted sources in a Russian state television station saying that news anchors had received instructions "from above" not to mention the words "terrorist attack."
Some analysts said Putin was trying to contain social unrest ahead of Sunday's presidential elections in Russia's breakaway republic of Chechnya, which rebels have vowed to disrupt.
"The government is just trying to avoid panic," said Kirkorov.
"After such dramatic events, the active part of society usually reacts by expressing its emotions instead of making concrete propositions. I don't think this is the best basis for dialogue," he added.