Russian president Boris Yeltsin told reporters in Yekaterinburg yesterday that reform in the armed forces "is going badly, though Defense Minister Pavel Grachev seems to consider it is going on normally." (5) To date, Grachev has been the Teflon defense minister. Almost since his appointment... MORE

The U.S. State Department reacted to news of Boris Yeltsin's re-election bid yesterday with a pledge to support democratic reform in Russia and with a rebuff to Russian Communists and nationalists. While declaring that the United States would not "intrude" on the electoral process or... MORE

Russia's presidential campaign began in earnest yesterday when the two main candidates both declared their intention to run. In an hour-long, rambling speech delivered in Yekaterinburg in a voice hoarse with cold, incumbent President Boris Yeltsin recommitted himself to economic and political reform and declared... MORE

Announcing his candidacy for re-election yesterday, President Boris Yeltsin told several Yekaterinburg audiences that he would seek a conclusive military victory in Chechnya before the June 16 elections. Yeltsin indicated that Russian forces would adopt a new strategy of seeking to break up Chechen resistance... MORE

1. Interfax, February 13 2. Reuter & Interfax, February 14 3. Interfax, February 14 4. Russian Public Television, "Geroi Dnya," February 14 5. Reuter and Interfax, February 13 6. NTV, Segodnya, February 14 7. Voice of Russia, February 13 8. Reuter & Interfax, February 14... MORE

The military bench of Azerbaijan's Supreme Court has sentenced a group of former military and security officials on high treason charges stemming in part from the October 1994 coup attempt against President Heydar Aliyev. Former state security minister Nariman Imranov, former defense minister Rahim Gaziev,... MORE

Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma plans to ask his U.S. counterpart Bill Clinton for assistance in obtaining Russian compensation for tactical nuclear weapons removed to Russia from Ukraine after the USSR's collapse. According to the head of the Ukrainian presidential staff's foreign policy department, Kuchma will... MORE

Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma has removed Col. General Anatoly Lopata, chief of staff of the armed forces and also first deputy defense minister, from his posts and transferred him to other, as yet unspecified duties. Deputy Defense Minister Col. General Ivan Bizhan has been named... MORE

A North Korean armed with a pistol broke into the Russian embassy compound in Pyongyang yesterday, killing three North Korean guards and wounding several others. No Russians were injured. The Russian Foreign Ministry later reported that the intruder, identified as a 25-year-old security guard of... MORE

The Duma failed yesterday to adopt a constitutional law establishing the office of Commissioner for Human Rights. The bill won only 216 votes instead of the qualified majority of 300 necessary for passage of a constitutional law. (10) The bill, which had the support of... MORE