Russia's Defense Ministry announced yesterday that Colonel-General Vladimir Chilindin has been appointed commander of Russian Army troops in Tajikistan. Russia has just obtained basing rights for those troops (see the Monitor, April 8, 12). Chilindin was appointed by decision of President Boris Yeltsin, dispensing with... MORE

The government of Azerbaijan announced yesterday that it has decided to return to Kazakhstan the six MiG-21 jets impounded during a stopover in Baku on March 19. That incident had attracted intense international attention due to the Russian involvement in the clandestine transport of the... MORE

A new group in the Ukrainian parliament, apparently formed to promote both President Leonid Kuchma's policies and to pursue the business interests of its founders, was announced on April 20. Called Working Ukraine, the group of fifteen is chaired by Mykhaylo Syrota--one of the drafters... MORE

In a special address televised on Lithuania's four national channels late on April 19, President Valdas Adamkus announced that he "withholds confidence" from the government of Gediminas Vagnorius and proceeded to strongly criticize the prime minister's performance. Adamkus charged that Vagnorius is engaged in a... MORE

Russian arms traders had predicted that NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia would stimulate sales for their air defense missiles and they have apparently been proved correct. Yesterday the president of the firm which manufactures the S-300 air defense missile systems announced that Libya--a country that... MORE

On April 19, in a move which passed with little comment, Russian President Boris Yeltsin issued a decree which prolonged for a second time the term of military service for Defense Minister Igor Sergeev by one year. Russian military regulations stipulate the age of sixty... MORE

In a move which--if accurately reported--would appear to signal a sharp change in Moscow's Middle Eastern policy, a Russian diplomat was quoted yesterday as saying that Moscow will support an independent Palestinian state whenever the Palestinians choose to declare it. According to the Associated Press,... MORE

The Russian government announced yesterday that it will be unable to pay off US$1.2 billion in Ministry of Finance bonds--known as MinFins--the third installment of which are scheduled to mature next month. Finance Minister Mikhail Kasyanov made the announcement during the annual meeting of the... MORE

Russian President Boris Yeltsin's political resurgence continued yesterday as he lobbied a group of regional governors for their political support. Yeltsin's gambit, however, appeared to be a risky one. During a meeting at the Kremlin, the Russian president offered the nineteen regional leaders present greater... MORE

Ukrainian, Georgian and Azerbaijani units held on April 13-19 in Georgia a joint military exercise, the first to be held by the three countries. Held in conjunction with the inauguration of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline and Poti-Odessa railway ferry line (see the Monitor, April 19),... MORE