Yeltsin Fires Navy Chief in Wake of Arms Depot Explosion

MOSCOW — One day after a Russian navy ammunition dump blew up in the Russian Far East, President Boris N. Yeltsin on Saturday unceremoniously fired the navy’s commander in chief.

Officials gave no explanation for the removal of Adm. Felix Gromov, 60, who not only lost his post but was dismissed from the navy. In his place, Yeltsin appointed Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov, 53, who had served as Gromov’s first deputy.

The explosion at the torpedo and mine depot near Vladivostok, which officials suspect may have been caused by sabotage or an aging torpedo, called attention to the shoddy condition of the once mighty Russian fleet.

In addition, recent corruption investigations initiated by the Kremlin have led to the firings of top military officials in recent months, but there has been no indication that Gromov was also a target.

Some analysts suggested Gromov’s ouster was prompted by Yeltsin’s desire to replace him with a more pliable navy chief who would be willing to carry out drastic cuts in forces.

Faced with large budget shortfalls at home and no major military enemy abroad, Yeltsin has pledged to slash the armed forces by nearly a third, from 1.7 million to 1.2 million troops. Earlier this year, the president fired Defense Minister Igor N. Rodionov when the outspoken general appeared to move too slowly in implementing the Kremlin’s cutbacks. Rodionov has subsequently become a major Yeltsin critic and charges that the president’s plan threatens the military with collapse.

“The navy is a very expensive force to keep up,” said Pavel Felgengauer, military correspondent for the newspaper Sevodnya. “That is why serious cuts may result in the further decrease of the Russian navy’s significance--all the way down to its eventual sinking.”

Felgengauer described the new navy chief as one of the least known and least politicized of Russia’s admirals. “Now Yeltsin has somebody at the head of the navy who will follow any orders without asking any questions,” he said.

But a Western military expert characterized Kuroyedov, former commander of the Pacific Fleet, as a charismatic figure and said he has a good reputation in the navy. “He’s quite a powerful guy,” he told the Reuters news service.

The Russian navy is one of the world’s largest. Its fleets are based in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as well as the Black, Baltic and Caspian seas. Among its vessels are 34 nuclear-armed submarines.

Gromov’s firing came during the middle of a three-day weekend and appeared timed to attract minimal attention from a public that has not embraced Yeltsin’s plan to reduce military spending.

Yeltsin may have had good reason to handle it quietly: A poll released Saturday by Interfax showed that Russians identify Rodionov as someone they trust, while only 1% of those polled said they trust Yeltsin.