[PEN-L:1355] The countdown to Armagedon

["Frank Durgin" <fdurgin1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A summary by Russia Today of an article in today's Komsomolskaya Pravda
Monday, August 31, 1998 at: NY 1:11 p.m. Lon 6:11 p.m. Pra 7:11 p.m. Mos
9:11 p.m.


Lead story
Interior Ministry and the Army Are Prepared to Cut Short Massive Civil
Unrest

Summary
A highly positioned source at the Defense Ministry told the daily that the
situation there now is similar to what it was in 1993 (when President Boris
Yeltsin ordered troops to fire on parliament).

Commanders of nearby units -- the Tamanskaya and Kantemirovskaya divisions
and the Tyoplyi Stan brigade -- have been ordered to prepare themselves for
extraordinary situations. The Tula, Ryazan and Tver divisions have received
similar orders. Troops were told increase the guard on stores of
ammunition, fuel and food supplies.

According to some sources, officers were told to return early from
vacation, and army circles are discussing the last meeting between Defense
Minister Igor Sergeyev and President Boris Yeltsin, in which Sergeyev
reportedly assured the president of the troops' loyalty and support.

The daily wrote that the situation in the Interior Ministry is also very
tense. According to Komsomolka, the president has ordered Interior Minister
Sergei Stepashin to make sure his ministry is ready to act under
extraordinary circumstances. Interior Ministry forces are ready to mobilize
to Moscow in the event of civil unrest in the capital.

The daily added that the Federal Security Service (FSB) is gathering
information about the possible destabilization of the situation in Moscow,
as well as keeping a watch on the explosive regions of the Far East.

about K O M S O M O L S K A Y A   P R A V D A
(circulation 1.6 million). A former Soviet youth newspaper, it is now a
national daily owned by the UNEXIM Group with the largest circulation of
any Russian newspaper. It has a good network of correspondents throughout
the country but provides little analysis.