BORDER TROOPS COMPLAIN OF UNDERFUNDING.

Lt. General Sergei Karasev, in charge of armaments for Russia’s Federal Border Service told journalists yesterday that "new, economical forms of guarding state borders" are under review because the state budget meets just 25-30 percent of the service’s actual needs. Karasev singled out FBS’s naval components and signal system for "serious problems" of outdated equipment. Among the ideas FBS is considering to save funds is the use of Cossack formations on the parts of the border that do not require heavy guard. (5)

Western Companies Start Expansion In Baltics From Estonia.