MOSCOW DOWNGRADES NUCLEAR FORCE COMMAND. Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov appointed Nikolai Solovtsov to head the nuclear rocket
forces on 27 April, but pointedly noted that he will hold the
rank of commander rather than commander in chief of that service
as his predecessors had, Reuters reported. This action appears
to end the dispute between the rocket forces and infantry that
has divided the Russian military for most of the last two years.
PG
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