Russia will supply the modernized S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Belarus soon, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said after a meeting of the two countries’ defense ministry boards on Wednesday.

---

Former head of the National TV and Radio Company Yahor Rybakow detained. He is accused of abuse of office, violations in business activities and so on. Now the former head of the National TV and Radio Company is in pre-trial detention cell in Minsk. Some journalists consider that the authorities have known about Rybakow’s crimes for a long time.

---

Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 7, No. 7
February 2004

---

Two activists of the Zubr movement were daeteined by police in Minsk on February 17. Lubow Kuchynskaya and Alyaksei Kontar pasted leaflets in the Skaryna Avenue. In the crossroads with the Kazlow Street a few police officers in civilian clothes approached them. The young people were taken to the police department of the Patryzansky district of Minsk, where they spent an hour. After that activists were released without drawing up a report. Another groups of activists were gluing leaflets in Minsk at the same time. The leaflets could be seen in the Jakub Kolas street, Akadziemichaskaya, Syrhanaw, Kuzma Chorny streets, in the vicinity of metro stations “Park Chaluskintsaw” and “Maskowskaya”, press service of the Zubr movement informs.

---

Russian independent trader Transnafta stopped natural gas supplies to Belarus on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Moscow time as Belarus’ state gas pipeline monopoly Beltransgaz failed to sign a new contract with Transnafta, Transnafta`s General Director Vladimir Kondrachuk told ITAR-TASS Wednesday.

---

Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Belarus on Wednesday at 10.00 a.m. Moscow time. “It was made because of absence of contracts between economic entities”, TransNafta’s General Director Vladimir Kondrachuk told ITAR-TASS. And on yesterday evening representatives of Belarus started urgent negotiations with TransNafta on continuation of gas supplies. The Belarusian side delayed answer to the uttermost. There was no information about talks a few hours before the assumed moment pf turning off gas taps. The Russians declared their readiness to continue talks throughout the whole day. Beside information about beginning of the talks, it was made known that Belarusian authorities decided to take a credit from Russia, in order to make a long-term contract for gas supplies with Russian concern Gazprom.

---