41.  Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin on Friday chaired the first meeting of the Russian defence council, a high-level consultative body set up to supervise reform of the armed forces.

42.  Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin Friday chaired the first meeting of the Russian defence council, a high-level consultative body set up to supervise reform of the beleaguered armed forces.

43.  Russian forces have completely surrounded the presidential palace in the centre of Grozny, a Russian defence ministry spokesman said here Sunday.

44.  Russian and Japanese military officers met here Tuesday, the Russian defence ministry said, reportedly to discuss strategic stability in the Pacific Ocean region.

45.  Russian defence minister in Beijing for five-day official visit.

46.  Russia may envisage having its own military base in former Yugoslavia, a senior Russian defence official said Thursday, proposing that Moscow expand its influence in the Balkans.

47.  Russia would maintain control over foreign policy matters such as Russian defence and security, arms sales, federal transport and communications, according to the document.

48.  Russia will be obliged to resume nuclear testing if the United States does, the head of the Russian parliamentary defence committee said here Tuesday.

49.  Russian defence council secretary Yuri Baturin accused Washington and Tokyo of redeploying US troops to the north of Japan, the Interfax agency reported Wednesday.

50.  Senior interior ministry officials Saturday outlined plans to improve coordination between their forces and Russian defence ministry troops in Chechnya, Interfax news agency reported.