Sobesednik on May 25 said that earlier Russian claims thatBaltic "amazons" were fighting for the Chechens were not true. Instead, theweekly claimed, there was some evidence that women soldiers from the Balticstates were fighting on the Russian side. Finance Minister Blames IMF For Russia's Budget... MORE

Finance Minister Vladimir Panskov said that the failure of the IMF to provide sufficient and timely assistance to Moscow was behind the current budgetary shortfalls, Segodnyareported May 25. Panskov said that tax collections were improved, although earnings from privatization had been less than planned. But... MORE

In anothermove that opponents said would bust the budget as well as violate theconstitution, the Federation Council approved a bill that would guaranteepayments to defense contractors outside of the normal state budget,Segodnya reported May 25. Opponents--including the only civilian DeputyMinister of Defense Andrei Kokoshin--said that... MORE

A conference on the 1986nuclear accident, held this week in Moscow, noted that Chernobyl had harmedRussians as well as Ukrainians and Belarusians, Segodnya reported May 25.Conference speakers said that 67,000 square kilometers of Russian territoryhad been poisoned, that 3.6 million people had been exposed to... MORE

Russian deputyprime minister Oleg Soskovets told Interfax May 25 that the RussianFederation hoped to sell $2.5 billion in arms abroad in 1995, up from $1.7 billion in 1995. While an increase, the new figure is still far below the $14 billion in arms that Moscow... MORE

? To date,Russian farmers have planted only 25 million hectares (out of a total of 70million hectares normally sowed) because of severe fuel shortages,Podmoskovskie izvestiya reported May 24. Unless the situation is reversed,Moscow will have to purchase more grain abroad--likely to be more expensivebecause of... MORE

After being praised by Yeltsin as thecountry's best mayor, Moscow's Yuri Luzhkov has come under fire for financial improprieties and misuse of office. Moskovsky Komsomolets reported May 25 that he was under pressure to resign. But Moscow radio said he would not quit, noting that... MORE

UkrainianPresident Leonid Kuchma and Estonian President Lennart Meri signed a freetrade agreement May 25 during Kuchma's visit to Ukraine, BNS reported May25. This agreement further distances Ukraine from CIS plans for a commoneconomic space. Estonian officials said that they expected to sign a similar accord... MORE

The Latviangovernment has taken over the failed Baltija bank, will reorganize it and then return it to new owners, BNS reported May 25. The news agency reported that many Latvian parliamentarians had criticized the government for failing to monitor the situation, and for allowing the... MORE

The Ukrainianparliament adopted a resolution demanding that by June 1 Crimean authorities must drop plans to hold a referendum on relations with Kiev and Moscow, and must subordinate the local constitution and laws to those of Ukraine by that date, Kiev radio reported. The parliament... MORE