The "Segodnya" program on Russian television reported Tuesday night that Chernomyrdin had signed a decree nominating Sergei Grizunov as press minister. Grizunov was formerly the deputy to Press Minister Boris Mironov, fired by Yeltsin several months ago after being accused of fascism.
The new agriculture minister, Alexander Nazarchuk, said during a visit to southern Siberia that he supported state regulation of Russia's agriculture, unlike his predecessor Viktor Khlystun, who had allowed the breakup of state farms and freed grain prices.
Ignoring a veiled warning Chernomyrdin issued him in a television interview Sunday, Nazarchuk said he would not support the 1995 budget if it reduced government spending on agriculture, as the current draft envisages.
"I will not vote for such a budget," ITAR-TASS quoted him as saying.
Chernomyrdin told the news program Itogi on Sunday that Nazarchuk would have "no choice" but to comply with the collective will of the cabinet.
Nazarchuk's appointment last Thursday, hours before a confidence vote in the government, was apparently an attempt by Yeltsin to buy the votes of the Agrarian Party faction.
After Yeltsin met with Chernomyrdin Tuesday rumors of more appointments were fueled by a vague press release circulated by the presidential press service that said "certain personnel matters were discussed."
An Interfax report said Yeltsin has also signed a directive that would cut his vast staff by one third.
In his television interview, Chernomyrdin implied that acting Finance Minister Andrei Vavilov and acting CIS Cooperation Minister Vladimir Mashits were candidates for replacement.
News agencies reported Monday that Justice Minister Yury Kalmykov had resigned. But Kalmykov's press secretary, Vladimir Zimonenko, said Tuesday that the minister did not intend to resign.
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