VILNIUS : Marching Home
About 80 soldiers of the former Soviet army are scheduled to cross the border from Lithuania into Russia today in what the Lithuanian government is happily advertising as the beginning of full Soviet withdrawal from the now-independent Baltic state.
Negotiations on the pace of the withdrawal are still continuing, however, with Lithuania demanding that the troops leave as quickly as possible and Russia objecting that it will take time to house and relocate them.
An estimated 128,000 officers and enlisted troops stationed in the three former Baltic republics--Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia--were transferred to Russian jurisdiction after the breakup of the Soviet Union late last year.
The troops are also to be withdrawn from Latvia and Estonia.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
