Rutskoi condemns mutiny

(First Edition)

MOSCOW (Reuter) - Alexander Rutskoi, the Russian Vice-President, condemned the mutiny of a Black Sea fleet ship yesterday, accusing Ukraine of treating the issue like a child's game. He suggested the Ukrainians had acted irresponsibly at a time when the two countries were engaged in delicate talks over a share-out of the fleet. 'This is military equipment. This is not a toy,' he added.

The head of the CIS-controlled fleet, Admiral Igor Kasatonov said Wednesday's desertion of the coastal patrol vessel, which hoisted the Ukrainian flag and fled to a Ukrainian port, was 'close to a terrorist act'. Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed after emergency talks in Sevastopol late on Thursday to set up a commission to prevent a repetition of the incident.