Amid a continuing information blackout, Russian forces continued in recent days to bomb and shell the towns and villages of Bamut, Samashki, Stary Achkhoy, Orekhovo, and other localities in western Chechnya. They also launched ground attacks against most of these localities. Thousands of residents have... MORE

Critical remarks of the Duma vote by presidential advisor Dmitri

President Yeltsin met yesterday with Yegor Stroyev, speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council. Heading their agenda was discussion of the Duma vote denouncing the Belovezhye accord. Both men agreed that the Duma's action represented an attempt to usurp powers... MORE

Russian president Boris Yeltsin has denied accusations by the leader of the Russian Communist party, Gennady Zyuganov, that "hotheads" in the president's entourage are urging him to use force against the Russian parliament in retaliation for its denunciation of the 1991 Belovezhye accord, which disbanded... MORE

In the wake of Sunday's Duma vote annulling the 1991 disbandment of the USSR, Russia's Foreign Ministry has scrambled to reassure foreign governments while several political moderates have accused the Communists -- who spearheaded the Duma action -- of harming Russian national interests. Russian foreign... MORE

Russia's ambassador to Iran said yesterday that following completion of the controversial Bushehr nuclear power plant, Moscow might construct additional nuclear power stations in Iran. The United States has opposed the $800 million Bushehr project out of fear that it will abet Iran's ambitions to... MORE

Russia's Far Eastern Maritime region requested yesterday that the Russian Constitutional Court examine the legality of a 1991 Sino-Soviet border agreement. Far Eastern leaders claim that the transfer of some 1,500 hectares land to China violates Russia's national interests and cannot be carried out without... MORE

In an effort to ward off the implementation of President Yeltsin's 7 March decree on land use, the Agrarian faction in the Russian Duma has drafted a bill governing the sale of land. (Interfax, March 18) Details are hazy, but it is likely that the... MORE

Washington has asked Russia for information on intelligence reports suggesting that Moscow may have conducted a nuclear test at the Novaya Zemlya test site, U.S. officials said March 17. Russia had earlier pledged not to conduct such tests. (UPI, March 17) Additional Russian Nuclear Plants... MORE

Russian aircraft and artillery yesterday and today attacked villages in southeastern Chechnya's Nozhay-Yurt district. Local officials representing the Moscow-installed authorities reported massive destruction and civilian casualties. The attacks in that area signify an expansion of Russian offensive operations which recently targeted western Chechnya. (Western and... MORE