Overthe last five years, mortality rates in Russia have risen by 50percent, an unprecedented increase in any country during peacetime,Yuzhniy Ural reported June 2. The increase reflects thesocial dislocations brought about by the collapse of the SovietUnion and the social strains of the shift to... MORE

The number of crimes committed inMoscow during the first half of 1995 rose by 7.1 percent overthe same period a year ago, Interfax reported July 11. Rapes weredown while murders increased, and the number of cases of banditismrose by 600 percent. Moreover, the police said... MORE

In a letter publishedin the July 11 Segodnya, the chief of the Main Administrationfor the Protection of the Russian Federation (GUO), Mikhail Barsukhov,denied earlier reports in that paper that his office is buggingYeltsin's opponents and has purchased Western equipment to doso. Moscow Signs Accord with... MORE

Russian PresidentBoris Yeltsin was taken to a hospital July 11 for treatment ofischaemia, a shortage of oxygen to the heart, Itar-Tass reported.The presidential press service provided no additional details.Under the Russian constitution, Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdinwould become acting head of state if Yeltsin is indisposed... MORE

Talks between Moscow and the Chechenscontinued in Grozny with both sides claiming in a joint communiquethat the negotiations had made progress on the central politicalissue--the status of Chechnya--Itar-Tass reported July 10. Thehead of the Chechen delegation, Usman Imayev, was cheered whenhe told a crowd of... MORE

TheRussian Constitutional Court on July 11 opened its hearings onthe constitutionality and legality of Yeltsin's decrees whichlaunched the Chechen war, Itar-Tass reported July 10. Officially,the hearings were initiated by the Communist faction in the Duma,a body which is represented on the court by Anatoly Lukyanov... MORE

An early exampleof this presidential team strategy was the report by deputy premierSergei Shakhrai to the court that in December 1994, the Chechenleader had at his disposal more than 15,000 fighters, 266 planes,350 pieces of artillery, 120 tanks, and 80 anti-aircraft batteries,Interfax reported July 10.... MORE

The Duma, not the president,can grant an amnesty, Yeltsin's national security aide Yuri Baturintold Russian radio June 9. His comments came in reaction to reportsfrom the Grozny peace talks that both sides had reached an understandingthat Yeltsin would amnesty all participants in the Chechen conflict.The... MORE

BorisYeltsin's office told Itar-Tass July 11 that Moscow was helpingto organize a conference on national reconciliation in Chechnya.The meeting is to be held in Vladikavkaz later this week and willinclude leaders from all North Caucasian republics, the pro-MoscowChechen regime, and representatives of Chechen president DzhokharDudayev,... MORE

Ingush president RuslanAushev and North Ossetian president Akhsarbek Galazov are to meetJuly 11 in Vladikavkaz to discuss measures to guarantee the securityof Ingush refugees returning to the disputed Prigorodny rayon,Segodnya reported July 8. Russian officials will be presentat the talks, even though the paper said... MORE