Head of Russian carrier serving Putin put under house arrest

The head of a Russian state air carrier serving President Vladimir Putin has been placed under house arrest on charges of abuse of office, the latest in a series of corruption probes targeting top officials.

A court statement Tuesday said Yaroslav Odintsev, the director of the special flight unit of the Rossiya airline, has been put under house arrest for two months pending the official probe. The carrier has a fleet of several dozen planes and helicopters.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the president has been informed about the move, adding that it wouldn't affect the president's travel.

Russian media reports said the probe has focused on allegations of misspending funds earmarked for the purchase of air conditioning systems. Odintsev has previously denied the accusations.