RUSSIAN LEADER REJECTS UKRAINIAN BID FOR NAVY

Russian President Boris Yeltsin rejected Ukrainian demands to take command of the former Soviet naval fleet in the Black Sea, saying it was an "indivisible" body, the Tass news agency said Wednesday.

"It cannot belong to any particular republic, but must rather be placed under joint command," he said.

Ukraine, which wants an independent military, has in recent weeks been pushing strongly to take over the Black Sea fleet.

The government of the now-independent Baltic republic of Estonia meanwhile is no longer willing to supply bread and flour to former Soviet troops still on its territory, Tass reported.

Estonia said its decision was due to the fact that Russia was not delivering enough grain to Estonia, and was thus indirectly refusing to feed its troops.