The rank is also used by the navies of several ex-Soviet republics and former Eastern bloc countries.

His story, he says, will be set in Absurdistan, an imaginary ex-Soviet republic.

But by Friday it seemed to have arranged to vote on aid to the ex-Soviet republics this week.

The other ex-Soviet republics combined are spending far less than Russia.

Sensibly, the new document even calls for a "democratic partnership" with Russia and the other ex-Soviet republics.

Starting 2005 Russia started steadily increasing the price it sold heavily subsidized gas to ex-Soviet republics.

Oil fueled the wealth of this renegade state carved from an ex-Soviet republic.

The southern ex-Soviet republics are looking toward Turkey and Iran.

Moscow's ties to ex-Soviet republics will be slow to dissolve.

The ex-Soviet republics did receive a boost last week.