YELTSIN REPLACES REPRESENTATIVE TO CHECHNYA.

Russian president Boris Yeltsin has removed Ivan Rybkin as presidential representative to the breakaway republic of Chechnya and replaced him with Rybkin’s former first deputy, Valentin Vlasov. The change appears to represent not a demotion for Rybkin, who retains his post as secretary of Russia’s Security Council, but a downgrading of the post itself, since the number of Vlasov’s staff is being cut to 5-6 from Rybkin’s 19. Rybkin said in a TV interview that, in the future, Chechnya will have the same level of representation as any other Russian region. (RTR, October 8)

Yeltsin Pardons Russian Spy.