Despite a warning that President Boris Yeltsin would definitely veto it, the State Duma yesterday passed a bill directing that the division of the former Soviet Black Sea fleet between Russia and Ukraine be halted immediately. It's not the first time the Duma has tried... MORE

The British, French, German, and Italian ambassadors to Belarus yesterday handed over to the Foreign Ministry a note on behalf of the European Union. The EU expressed serious concern over the president's recent steps escalating the conflict with parliament, urged him and the government to... MORE

While Russia's leaders exchange threats and insults, Chechen opposition leaders are pressing ahead with the construction of state institutions in the breakaway republic. The final touches are being put to a provisional coalition government, in which Aslan Maskhadov has been named prime minister and defense... MORE

Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenko conferred yesterday in Moscow with Russian president Boris Yeltsin, prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov, and defense minister Igor Rodionov on bilateral relations and the constitutional conflict in Belarus. The constitutional conflict involves the referendum that Lukashenko has unilaterally... MORE

Among the unexpected consequences of the current wrangle over the future of Russia's Airborne Forces is the fact that it appears to have driven a wedge between security chief Aleksandr Lebed and the man he chose to head the Defense Ministry, Army Gen. Igor Rodionov.... MORE

Kulikov's coup allegations weave together a number of the rumors and conspiracy theories with which Moscow is always awash. In its latest issue, which reached Moscow newsstands before Kulikov made his allegations, the well-informed Moscow News detailed (with some skepticism) reports "from various sources" that... MORE

An official from Russia's Ministry of Defense Industries complained on October 15 that Russian airlines had purchased only 4 domestically produced aircraft through the first nine months of this year. The official warned that a number of aircraft production plants face grave financial difficulties, and... MORE

More than 2,000 workers from defense plants in the Omsk region picketed the local administration office yesterday, protesting that they had not been paid for 4-5 months. The local governor, Leonid Polezhayev, said the economic situation in the region was "catastrophic" and blamed Moscow. He... MORE

The fledgling Kazakh Navy received 4 coastal defense cutters from Germany on Monday. Officially established in mid-August, the Navy had consisted of 7 small craft from the U.S. and two made in Kazakhstan. Its main base is at Aktua (formerly Fort Shevchenko) on the Caspian... MORE

Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin held a top-level meeting this morning to discuss allegations by Interior Minister Anatoly Kulikov that national security chief Aleksandr Lebed has been plotting to seize power in a coup d'etat. The prime minister dismissed rumors of a planned coup but... MORE