By a vote of 107 to 1, the upper house of the Russian parliamentexpressed its solidarity, and urged the US Congress to rejectthe Helms-Burton bill that would seek to put additional pressureon Castro's Cuba, Interfax reported July 21. The resolution saidthat the bill reflected "cold... MORE

Officials fromthe two countries signed agreements in Moscow July 22 which theRussian side said would "restore" Russian-Libyan economicties, Interfax reported. Russian deputy premier Oleg Davydov saidthat Moscow believes Libya has taken adequate steps to distanceitself from international terrorism and that Russia "fullysupports Libya's efforts to... MORE

On July21, the Russian Duma adopted a resolution calling on the RussianCentral Bank to use its profits to help feed Russian soldiers,Interfax reported July 21. Duma members said that the defenseministry had dipped into its strategic reserves to feed soldiersin recent months but lacked the... MORE

Once again, the Federation Council has failed topass the production sharing bill that Moscow believes will providethe foundation for massive Western investment, particularly inthe oil industry, Interfax reported July 21. But the parliament'supper house did approve a measure that will give Yeltsin greatercontrol over foreign... MORE

The Russiancommand in Chechnya told Interfax July 21 that Chechen leaderDzhokhar Dudayev had lost all but 4500 of the 35,000 fightershe had in December 1994, now had only 10 of an original inventoryof 150 tanks, and had lost his entire air force of 126 jets.... MORE

With 12votes to spare, the Russian Duma overrode Yeltsin's veto of alaw that sets the rules for public demonstrations in Russia, Russianradio reported July 21. Yeltsin reportedly objected to the failureof the bill to set special limitations on demonstrators in Moscow. Duma Calls on Bank... MORE

On July 24, Boris Yeltsin leftthe central Moscow hospital where he has been recovering froma July 10 heart attack, Itar-Tass reported. The Russian presidentnow is at a sanatorium to complete his recovery, his aides toldthe news service. Throughout his hospitalization, Yeltsin hascontinued to work. Krasnaya... MORE

The Centerfor the Struggle Against Terrorism will unify the defense andinterior ministries, the Federal Security Service, the Main Administrationfor the Protection of Russia , and the procuracy, Ostankino televisionreported July 20 citing "informed sources." By virtueof its sweep, such a body would have enormous powers... MORE

IfRussian officials violate Chechen human rights--as they have sometimesdone in the past--they could transform Moscow into a "secondUlster," Russia's prosecutor general Aleksei Ilyushenko saidon NTV July 21. Duma Divides on Chechnya.

Stanislav Govorukhin, the chairmanof the Duma commission on Chechnya, has called for an amendmentto the Russian Constitution in order to allow the Chechen Republicto become independent, Russian media reported July 21. He saidthat Chechnya would not be able to survive on its own, but itsindependence... MORE