Regional political elites have deployed the elite police units to prevent Gazprom from turning off gas supplies to governments and industries which have not paid their bills, Kommersant-Daily said June 10. Gazprom insists that it must turn off the gas to industries that have not... MORE

As part of the process of converting the coal industry into a joint-stock company, Russia's coal mining enterprise Rosugol will close 100 pits over the next six years, Kommersant-Daily reported June 10. Russian miners have received 7.5 trillion rubles in subsidies during the first half... MORE

The European Commission refused to lift the hold that it had placed on an agreement with Russia because of Moscow's handling of the Chechen fighting, German radio reported June 12. The commission took this stand despite British and--from the outside--American pressure to go ahead out... MORE

The European Union's executive body said on June 12 that it had launched a probe into possible dumping of zinc by Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Poland, its C143 journal reported. Charges that former Soviet republics have sold metals at below-market prices have frequently been... MORE

Russian nationalist leader Aleksandr Sterligov argues that Moscow should use the Cossacks to pacify the North Caucasus, his Russky sobor (no. 3) magazine reports. Sterligov said that the Russian government should give the Cossacks some of the land now occupied by non-Russian ethnic groups. The... MORE

Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that Moscow must impose "tough" economic sanctions against any former Soviet republic that mistreats ethnic Russians, Sokol Zhirinovskogo (no. 7) reported. Zhirinovsky's statement--which echoes a recent remark by Yeltsin's citizenship advisor Abulakh Mikitayev--came in an address to the military and... MORE

Len Karpinsky, the editor in chief of the reformist weekly has died, Interfax reported June 12. Under Karpinsky and his predecessor Yegor Yakovlev, Moscow News was a leader in promoting freedom of information in Russia. Three years ago, its circulation exceeded a million copies; now,... MORE

The three Baltic prime ministers signed association agreements with the European Union in Luxembourg June 12, BNS reported. Unlike the partnership agreements which the EU has signed with various CIS countries, these accords anticipate eventual membership in the EU for the signatories. Baltic leaders celebrated... MORE

Lithuania is considering the establishment of two centers to hold illegal refugees, BNS reported June 12. The news service said that a detention center and a camp would be at least partially paid for by Sweden. The flow of illegal immigrants through the Baltic countries... MORE

Estonia's telephone, cellular, and cable television companies all plan major investment programs over the next decade to bring that country up to European standards, BNS reported June 12. The telephone company will spent up to $400 million to set up a country-wide digital phone system,... MORE