Perhaps surprisingly, Acting President Vladimir Putin is finding his strongest support among liberal voters. Igor Klyamkin, head of the Independent Institute of Sociological Analysis, said yesterday that his institute had found that 75 percent of all potential voters expect Putin to strengthen Russia's ties with... MORE

In his clearest move yet against pro-Moscow military circles, Armenian President Robert Kocharian has dismissed Major-General Astvatsatur Petrosian from his post as deputy defense minister, which Petrosian had held since 1992 (see the Monitor, March 16). Petrosian is also one of the leaders of the... MORE

The village of Komsomolskoe in southern Chechnya, which is completely surrounded by the Russian military, continues to be the target of intense artillery and tank fire. Reports coming from the scene of the fighting are contradictory. According to the Russian military, the federal forces are... MORE

On March 14, President Robert Kocharian made extensive changes in Armenia's Army command, relieving two deputy defense ministers of their posts; appointing three new deputy defense ministers and a new deputy chief of the General Staff; replacing the commanders of the First, Second and Fifth... MORE

Also on March 14, Armenian National Television Director Tigran Naghdalian announced that he has submitted his resignation. National TV has until now been one of President Robert Kocharian's few remaining strongholds, and Naghdalian a loyal supporter of the president. One hundred percent state-owned, National TV... MORE

Moscow reacted with predictable unhappiness yesterday following Tuesday's signing by U.S. President Bill Clinton of a bill, the Iran Nonproliferation Act, which would empower him to sanction Russia and Russian companies for improper leaks of military technology to Iran. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement called... MORE

Three groups belonging to the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) coalition today endorsed Samara Governor Konstantin Titov, who is a candidate in the rapidly approaching March 26 presidential election. The groups are the Democratic Russia party (led by State Duma deputy Yuli Rybakov), the Democratic... MORE

Computer hackers infiltrated the Russian biweekly opposition newspaper Novaya gazeta yesterday afternoon, preventing it from publishing today as scheduled. The incident occurred just an hour and a half before the paper was to be printed. Those responsible reportedly destroyed all the material for today's issue,... MORE

Tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Chechnya heated up anew this week following fresh criticism of Moscow leveled by a visiting delegation from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). On March 13 the delegation head, the British Lord Judd, renewed... MORE

Amid the diplomatic scuffling between Russia and the Council of Europe over the war in Chechnya, Moscow also found itself this week in yet another wrangle with Paris over the same issue. On March 13 the Russian Foreign Ministry officially protested a symposium conducted earlier... MORE