Russia: November 29, 2000

Archives

  Since the cold war ended, Russia has become more a place people want to get into, rather than leave. OK, this often means wanting to get into Russia so one can more easily sneak into Eastern, and then Western, Europe. Russia has some 200,000 troops guarding it's vast land and water borders. Some 400 checkpoints are involved, through which some 65 million people pass each year. In 1999, over 4,000 people, from 33 different nations, were stopped trying to enter Russia. Many more apparently made it in. Meanwhile, in Chechnya, landmines and bombs killed four civilians. The commander of the Russian far eastern forces said he was s under funded that his troops were incapable of defending the area.