RUSSIAN SHIPYARD TO REPAIR CHINESE SUBMARINES.

The "Zvezda" shipyard near Vladivostok has been picked to repair the Kilo-class diesel-powered submarines that were sold to China several years ago. A Chinese naval delegation recently inspected the enterprise and said they would expedite the contract once they returned to Beijing. The shipyard is one of the facilities used to dismantle Russian strategic submarines but has been in a financial crisis because the Defense Ministry is so far behind in its payments. (RIA Novosti, April 15)

Black Sea Fleet Launches Major Exercise.