Russia has granted asylum to Kyrgyzstan's ousted leader Askar Akayev at his request, the Kremlin said on Saturday. "Askar Akayev asked that he be allowed to come to Russia, and this has been granted," the Kremlin's press service said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.It was not clear Saturday evening whether Akayev was in Russia. But Interfax, citing unnamed sources, reported earlier on Saturday that he had arrived in the country. "Akayev arrived during the night from Kazakhstan," the agency quoted one of the sources as saying. Interfax said that it could not confirm the report officially. A radio station in Moscow said that sources close to Akayev had confirmed to it that the deposed leader had arrived in Moscow.