The Monitor's correspondent in Saratov Oblast reports that the Russian High Court has set August 13 as the date on which it will consider an appeal by Russia's prosecutor general for the region's pioneering land law to be struck down. The law--the first in Russia... MORE

Chechen vice president and well-known field commander Vakha Arsanov inspected his armed formations on Saturday. His motive for doing this was the recent attempt on the life of President Aslan Maskhadov. According to Arsanov, because of this situation, he needed to meet with his brothers-in-arms... MORE

In the last several days, Russia has suffered significant setbacks to its foreign arms sales in southern Asia. Indonesia has reportedly dropped all plans to purchase Russian military jets and helicopters worth as much as US$1 billion while top Russian naval officials contradicted each other... MORE

A meeting of the Congress of the Muslims of the North Caucasus was just held in Chechnya's capital, Djohar. The delegates adopted a resolution condemning "Wahhabism" and banning the spread of this sect of Islam in the North Caucasus. (NTV, July 25) As the chairman... MORE

Some 5,000 troops, sixteen warships and twenty-four aircraft from eleven NATO member and partner countries, including the three Baltic states, completed the Baltic Challenge-98 exercise on July 25. In progress since July 10 in Lithuania's coastal region of Klaipeda, Baltic Challenge-98 was NATO's largest exercise... MORE

Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada has adjourned for the summer recess without discussing the deficit-reduction corrections, which President Leonid Kuchma had urgently sought to make to the 1998 budget. Moreover, at the session's last sitting on July 24, the parliament adopted a resolution which--if implemented--would... MORE

Georgian Minister of State--equivalent of prime minister--Niko Lekishvili resigned yesterday, citing "obvious signs of a crisis of power." The entire cabinet of ministers is expected to resign today. President Eduard Shevardnadze, while denying that a "crisis" is in progress, announced his intention to replace a... MORE

Speaking at a press conference on July 24 in Tashkent, U.S. ambassador Joseph Pressel indicated that U.S.-Uzbek relations are developing more promisingly in the military area than in other areas. Pressel praised Uzbekistan's active participation in the U.S.-sponsored CentrasBat military exercises, in NATO's Partnership for... MORE

Vice President Al Gore arrived in Moscow last night for talks with Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kirienko and other Russian officials. The issues that Gore and Kirienko are expected to discuss include Russian-American relations, preparations for U.S. President Bill Clinton's September summit meeting with Boris... MORE

The Russian government has denied any involvement in yesterday's assassination attempt against Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. Ivan Rybkin, Russia's chief negotiator with Chechnya, warned of "catastrophic" consequences were the republic's legitimate president to be removed from the scene. Rybkin warned, too, that Moscow can not... MORE