PROGRESS ON BLACK SEA FLEET BASES.

A special commission of the Main Staff of Russia’s Navy has been working in Crimea since December 1, together with a commission of Ukraine’s naval command, on arrangements for handing over some Russian naval bases and coastal installations to Ukraine. The partition of the bases and installations is to be completed by January. According to current reports, Ukraine is to take over: the Donuzlav naval base (the Black Sea Fleet’s most modern base and also its reserve headquarters), including its arsenal, the Novoozernaya port, and the Mirnyi airport with some of the latter’s aircraft; the Kerch naval and military base, including its arsenal; and the Evpatoriya military base, whose Russian marine regiment is being disbanded. Part of the personnel of these bases and installations will be demobilized this month and part will relocate to Sevastopol and other bases to be retained by Russia. These reportedly will be the Feodosiya testing grounds, weapons range, and ship repair plant; and the military airports of Gvardeiskaya outside Simferopol and Kacha outside Sevastopol. Most of thes bases and installations and their equipment are reported to be in acute disrepair because of the Russian military’s financial and organizational problems. (12)

The division of Sevastopol itself remains unresolved. Ukraine offers the more desirable bays of Sevastopolskaya and Yuzhnaya for the use of Russia’s fleet while seeking the bays of Streletskaya, Karantinnaya, and Kazachya for the Ukrainian fleet. Ukraine has also obligated itself to finish for Russia the construction of warships begun prior to 1991 in Mikolayiv and other Ukrainian naval shipyards. In 1993-1994 Ukraine took over from Russia the naval bases and coastal installations in Mikolayiv, Saki, Ochakov, and several others including the Danubian Flotilla base at Izmail. The thorny issues of the partition of the Black Sea Fleet itself and the principles and terms of its basing remain unresolved.

Lukashenko Appeals to Russian Electoral Blocs Against "Enemies of Integration."