TOP RUSSIAN MILITARY LEADERS TO THE NORTH CAUCASUS.

Russian defense minister Igor Rodionov joined Ground Forces commander in chief Vladimir Semenov, North Caucasus Military District commander Anatoly Kvashnin, and other top military officials in Volgograd yesterday. While the presence of the military leaders was pointedly ascribed to the conduct of regularly scheduled annual meetings of local military commanders, it seems likely that the visit was connected in some way to the worsening situation in Chechnya. Rodionov and Semenov were scheduled to return to Moscow yesterday evening. (Interfax, August 21)

Russia Registers Negative Inflation.