NORTHERN FLEET SHORT OF MEN AND MONEY.

Russia’s Northern Fleet is operating with only 78 percent of the men it needs, Na strazhe Zapolyarnya reported May 31. Moreover, the failure of the government to pay the fleet what has been budgeted cramps its operations, its commander Admiral Oleg Yerofeyev told the paper. At present, the Russian government owes the fleet some 558 billion rubles. Yerofeyev also noted that the contract sailors–one of defense minister Pavel Grachev’s ideas–were of such poor quality that they could not be used for many tasks.

CIS States Agree on Intelligence Cooperation.