MOSCOW: One of the stranger questions to emerge after the August conflict between Russia and Georgia: Did Russians go to war in camouflage filched from Finland?

That, anyway, is the theory circulating among Finnish commentators, who have been examining such fine points of camouflage design as outline irregularity and light-to-medium-green ratios. Using photographs taken in Georgia, the Finnish authorities are trying to determine whether Russian armed forces are wearing M/05, a pattern that is based on digital photographs of Finnish forests and that is legally protected in the European Union.

The authorities in Finland looked into the similarities this month, and they decided not to take the matter up with Moscow, particularly since the legal protection does not extend to Russia.

But, said Captain Eero Karhuvaara, a spokesman for the Defense Staff of Finland, the chatter has continued in newspapers anyway - and not because the Finns have a special attachment to camouflage.

Word of the inquiry reached Moscow this week, prompting sardonic coverage in several city newspapers. A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry flatly denied copying the Finnish pattern.

A photo of a concerned-looking Miss Dati was splashed on the front page of conservative daily Le Figaro, left hand held to her head during a debate at the Senate.

It was supposed to illustrate the serious side of the minister whom magistrates have accused of preferring Dior dresses to addressing their problems.

However, L'Express magazine found the original picture taken in June, which clearly shows she was wearing a huge diamond ring.

The jewel, a Liens model of "grey gold paved with diamonds" by the luxury Chaumet brand and costing 15,600 euros (£13,000), had been neatly airbrushed out of the Le Figaro picture.

The newspaper - owned by Serge Dassault, close to President Nicolas Sarkozy - was obviously keen to erase Miss Dati's glitzy side liable to irritate magistrates already furious with her reform agenda and high-handed manner.