On the eve of the Duma's vote onChernomyrdin's government, Yeltsin accepted the retirements "attheir own request" of his interior minister, security servicechief, and deputy premier, and fired "for violations of hisoffice" the governor of Stavropol kray, Moscow media reported.But he did not replace defense minister... MORE

In a July 1 vote, 193 deputies,33 less than needed, and 50 less than voted against the governmentten days ago, supported a motion of no confidence in the government.The measure failed, and Chernomyrdin and Yeltsin both claimedvictory. But opponents from the communists and Vladimir Zhirinovsky'sparty... MORE

After making progress on a variety of militaryand political issues, Moscow's suggestion that the leaders ofits puppet regime in Chechnya and Dzhokhar Dudayev simultaneouslyresign to set the stage for new elections brought the talks toa glum halt July 2. The two sides failed to agree... MORE

The two leaders agreedto allow Russia to enter the post-COCOM regime as a founding member,without prejudice to Russia's earlier contracts to sell nuclearmaterials to Iran, and to enter the Missile Technology Controlregime, again without prejudice to earlier deals, Moscow radioreported June 30. The two men... MORE

Russian officials told Echoradio June 30 that there were still 726 Russian military men missingin Chechnya. Investigators have uncovered some 60 graves, includingsix mass ones, and are attempting to identify the victims. Onemissing person whom the Russian authorities again failed to provideany information on is... MORE

A Baltic fleet battalion which lost 24 killed and 75 woundedwhile fighting in Chechnya will participate in joint exerciseswith American forces in Hawaii this August, Ostankino televisionsaid June 30. On May 10, Moscow had veterans of the Chechen campaignmarch past President Clinton for the V-E... MORE

As the Russian Constitutional Courtprepares to consider parliamentary challenges to Yeltsin's decreeordering Russian forces into Chechnya--a translation and analysisof that decree were published in the June 30 Prism--Yeltsin'saide Sergei Filatov provided new details on the decrees that haveaffected the Russian operation in Chechnya. According to... MORE

Residents in Ivanovo, some200 kilometers from the Russian capital, do not buy Moscow papersor pay attention to political programs on Russian radio, NTV reportedJune 30. Instead, they focus on their own problems of earninga living and taking care of their children, the Moscow televisionstation said.... MORE

London expelledOstankino television Aleksandr Malikov for espionage, Ostankinotelevision reported June 30. The station denied the British chargesand said that Malikov had displayed a high level of professionalismin his work. Duma Deputy Complains About American Interference.

In aletter to the Russian foreign ministry, Duma deputy and leaderof the Social Democrats, Vasiliy Lipitsky accused American embassyofficers Thomas Graham and George Kolt of inappropriate effortsto support Lipitsky's political opponents in Novosibirsk, Interfaxreported June 29. Lipitsky said that on May 30 the two had... MORE