Russian authorities on December 14 released the Ukrainian cargo ship Almaz and its 10 crewmen, seized in Georgia's port of Batumi and held incommunicado since December 4. (See Monitor, December 13) The captain of the vessel is still being held. Russia's Foreign Ministry yesterday provided... MORE

Eight Russians who had applied for asylum in Norway approximately one month ago have been refused by Oslo and deported back to Russia, a Norwegian newspaper reported on December 13. Russian diplomatic sources indicated, however, that Norwegian authorities had informed them neither of the refusal... MORE

A Russian deputy foreign minister on December 14 welcomed the selection by the UN Security Council of Kofi Annan of Ghana as the organization's next secretary general. Moscow had been a strong supporter of current secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose bid for reelection was opposed... MORE

Israeli authorities have indicted a Russian-born electrical engineer on charges of spying for Moscow, Israeli TV said on December 11. Anatoly Gendler has been accused of passing to Moscow sensitive information on Israeli air force bases and other military facilities. Israeli security officials say that... MORE

Russia's Airborne Forces will be pared down to 48,500 troops by the end of the year as previously announced, but all five divisions will be retained. Defense Minister Igor Rodionov's original reduction directive called for the elimination of two of the divisions. A spokesman for... MORE

Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma criticized the leadership of the Defense Ministry on December 13 for what he said were severe problems in the armed forces. Kuchma demanded to know why not a single one of the 181 battalions in the Ground Forces were combat ready... MORE

Russia's Communist-dominated Duma approved the first reading of the draft 1997 federal budget yesterday. (Interfax, December 15) This was the third time parliament had debated the budget in as many months, and adoption is a significant victory for the government. It increases the chances that... MORE

In another welcome economic development for the Russian government, the IMF decided on December 13 to disburse the $336 million October tranche of its extended loan to Russia. The IMF said the decision was taken because Russia had improved its tax collection procedures. The Fund... MORE

The commander of Russian Interior Ministry troops in Chechnya warned the Chechen leadership in a strongly worded memorandum on December 15 that the seizure of 22 Russian policemen on the Chechen-Dagestani border could slow the withdrawal of federal forces from the republic. (Interfax, December 15)... MORE

Chechnya's president Zelimkhan Yandarbiev was hospitalized yesterday in Grozny after breaking his arm and injuring his collarbone in a road accident. Yandarbiev was not seriously injured and said there was no reason to suspect foul play. (NTV, December 12) Today Yandarbiev is reported to be... MORE