US surgeon clarifies misleading reports on Yeltsin's health

PRESIDENT Yeltsin is to undergo his heart operation next month, the leading US surgeon, Mr Michael de Bakey, said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. He also clarified reports on Mr Yeltsin's health, which have appeared in the Russian media.

Mr de Bakey confirmed that there had been some problems concerning Mr Yeltsin's readiness for surgery. The Moscow-based Itogi magazine had said the President's left ventricle had been severely damaged by previous heart attacks and was pumping only 23 per cent of Mr Yeltsin's blood.

The pumping rate, he said, was in fact 20 per cent six weeks ago, but had now improved to 35 per cent. "We hope to arrive at 40 per cent before the operation."

Recently the radio station, Ekho Moskvy, reported that Mr Yeltsin also had a seriously low haemoglobin level, but Mr de Bakey said this was being corrected. The problem had been created by internal bleeding caused by Mr Yeltsin's taking aspirin to avoid congealing. "The aspirin was stopped and the bleeding stopped."

Mr Yeltsin's illness caused a power struggle among the Kremlin leadership which ended with the sacking of security chief, Gen Alexander Lebed, last week. In dismissing Gen Lebed, Mr Yeltsin accused him of prematurely opening a presidential campaign.

What looked suspiciously like similar campaign began in Moscow yesterday. The city's mayor, Mr Yuri Luzhkov, made a controversial speech to naval veterans in which he declared that the city of Sevastopol in the Crimea belonged to Russia, not Ukraine.

In Sevastopol, Ukrainian nationalist organisations reacted strongly, calling for mass protests if Mr Luzhkov decided to visit the city and asking the government in Kiev to declare the Moscow mayor persona non grata.

The Tanaiste and Foreign Minister, Mr Spring, will lead a visit by the European Union troika to Moscow on November 8th. The troika currently consists of Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.