Seventy-one percent of Moscow residents approve of Aleksandr Lebed's efforts to resolve the Chechen conflict; 13 percent are strongly opposed, and 16 percent have no opinion according to a poll of 1,305 people by the respected VTsIOM polling organization. Those with higher education, holding managerial... MORE

On September 18, Chechen opposition forces brought 31 Russian prisoners of war to the village of Roshni-Chu to be exchanged for rebel fighters held by the Russian authorities. Some of these Russian prisoners were earlier reported to have been killed in action; many have been... MORE

A statement issued yesterday after a meeting between the hospitalized president and his chief-of-staff, Anatoly Chubais, is being seen as the clearest sign yet that, if and when surgery takes place, Yeltsin will hand control of the nuclear button over to Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.... MORE

In Chechnya, Lebed also discussed progress on forming a coalition government with the Chechen leaders and announced afterwards that there were no major disagreements between Moscow and the opposition on this point. But pitfalls to the speedy restoration of peace in Chechnya do remain. Chief... MORE

A group of seven top Russian generals, dismissed from their posts more than two months ago on the strength of criminal allegations leveled against them by Aleksandr Lebed, may soon be returning to the Defense Ministry and General Staff. According to an unnamed military source,... MORE

Evidently believing that attack is the best means of defense, the Russian Security Council yesterday released an extraordinary press statement criticizing unidentified members of the staff of Russian president Boris Yeltsin. The statement accuses "certain officials" in the Yeltsin administration of "trying to drag" Security... MORE

Since Lebed has no real institutional base in the Kremlin establishment, his only means of self-defense is to appeal to the public. So far, the tactic is proving rather successful. Even the firebrands in the Duma who have loudly deplored the Khasavyurt accords are waiting... MORE

Security Council secretary Aleksandr Lebed returned to Chechnya yesterday for his fifth visit since assuming his peace-making duties. Following a series of meetings with Chechen chief of staff Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen political leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, and the commander of Russian troops in Chechnya, Gen. Vyacheslav... MORE

A Russian admiral claimed on September 16 that two British intelligence-gathering vessels had been discovered in neutral waters near a Russian Northern Fleet training area. He denounced the activities of the ships as "intolerable," given, in his words, that Russia and Britain are "allies" in... MORE

Two civilians were apprehended recently while attempting to steal precious metals from a missile warhead deployed on a military base in Perm. Investigators are said to be puzzled by how the pair breached the base's security system. (Izvestiya, September 17) Less than two weeks ago... MORE