Russia's minister for CIS relations, Aman Tuleev, has denounced the wide-ranging treaty between Ukraine and Russia expected to be signed during President Yeltsin's visit to Kiev, scheduled for May 30-31. In a bluntly outspoken interview with Interfax, Tuleev said Russia stood to "lose more than... MORE

Yesterday's Russian-Ukrainian agreement in Kiev has apparently put an end to years of bickering on just where the Russian and Ukrainian components of the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet will be based. From the details released so far it seems that the Russians got pretty... MORE

One month ago Russian president Boris Yeltsin ordered the Defense Ministry to introduce competitive bidding for contracts to supply it with provisions. The aim of the initiative, which originated with First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, is to cut costs and fight corruption. An auction... MORE

The Russian government has prepared proposals to revise social welfare payments, and will soon submit them to the Duma. One proposal would raise the personal contribution to the Pension Fund from 1 to 2 percent, while cutting the social insurance payment (for health care and... MORE

As expected, Russian president Boris Yeltsin's decision to sign the Russia-NATO Founding Act in Paris on May 27 has been both praised and criticized in Russia. The Communist daily Pravda-5 yesterday treated the accord with the kind of scorn evident in the comments of a... MORE

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has often been at odds with the federal leadership, lashed out at the Russian government again this week. Visiting the south Russian city of Krasnodar to sign the latest in a series of agreements between the capital and other key... MORE

First Deputy Premier Boris Nemtsov flew yesterday to Samara oblast, in the Volga region, which is emerging as one of the "tigers" of the Russian economy. (ORT, May 28) Nemtsov was there in his capacity as Energy Minister to publicize his plans to reform Russia's... MORE

A report by the World Health Organization, claiming that 750 people die every day in the Russian capital from diseases arising from tobacco consumption, is causing a stir in Russia. Two-thirds of Russian men and one-third of Russian women are smokers, and their number is... MORE

Indonesia's Air Force chief warned yesterday that his country is considering the purchase of other fighter aircraft -- including Russian-made MiG's -- if the U.S. continues to block a delivery of U.S.-made F-16's because of human rights violations in Indonesia. (UPI, May 28) Russian aircraft... MORE

The governor of the Sakhalin region and the Deputy Commander of Russia's Pacific Border Guard District denied during a joint press conference yesterday that Russia plans to withdraw all its military formations -- including Border Guard units -- from the disputed South Kuril Islands. The... MORE