Russiandeputy foreign minister Sergei Krylov has handed Yeltsin's proposedagreement on the future of the Black Sea Fleet to Ukrainian presidentLeonid Kuchma, Russian radio reported July 19. The radio providedno details of the draft accord's contents. But the agreement islikely to be the subject of meetings... MORE

Theonly way the Northern Fleet can survive is to get out from underthe financial control of the Russian defense ministry, its commanderstold Murmanskiy vestnik June 2. But the commanders saidthat issues of military strategy and control of strategic weaponsshould remain Moscow's prerogative. Moscow Welcomes Estonian... MORE

Withthe words "better late than never," the Russian foreignministry welcomed the decision of the Estonian government to resubmitto parliament the July 1994 accords on the withdrawal of Russiantroops from Estonia and on the protection of Russian veteransin that country, Russian radio reported July 19. Bank... MORE

The Bank of Latvia and the Association of Latvian Banks saidJuly 18 that unidentified individuals have been phoning businessmenin Latvia and urging them to withdraw their funds from banks whichthe callers say are likely to go bankrupt, BNS reported July 19.Such panic-mongering only makes the... MORE

At Yeltsin's personal insistence,the Duma passed, with 294 votes in favor, an increase in the minimumwage to 55,000 rubles a month, Interfax reported July 19. Thenew figure, about $12 a month at current rates of exchange, representsonly one-fifth of what Moscow says is needed for... MORE

Russian army commandershave discovered that new draftees and recruits have less education,and more criminal activities in their past, and that as a resultthe army cannot train them as well or as quickly, Russian radioreported July 19. And it said that one draftee in six openly... MORE

The Duma has passed and sent to the Federation Council a newcriminal code which will give the Russian government new powersin fighting economic crimes, Russian radio reported July 19. Butinterior ministry officials told Ostankino television the sameday that Moscow has had little success against the... MORE

Russia'sCivil Society Fund has launched a twice-monthly bulletin entitledPolitical Extremism in Russia, Interfax reported July 19.The first two issues have already appeared and will be distributedas part of an effort to counter the rise of extremist groups ofall kinds. Behind the Puppets is a Real... MORE

The celebrated Russiangovernment case against NTV's "Puppets" television programfor satirizing Yeltsin and other government leaders grew out ofa longstanding personal conflict between NTV president Igor Malashenkoand members of Yeltsin's entourage. Earlier this year, NTV waslinked to a financial scandal involving Yeltsin's personal securityservice. Malashenko, immediately... MORE

In a statement that will do little to promote foreign investmentin Russia, or cooperation between Russian and Western businessmen,the Russian interior ministry said that six of every 10 Westernbusinessmen in Russia are "swindlers," VechernyayaMoskva reported July 18. Duma Adopts Criminal Code but Crime Leaders Remain... MORE