Treatment of N,N'-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridinyl)-2, 6-pyridinedicarboxamide (1) (H2LMe2) with RUCl2(PPh3)(3) in toluene yields the complex RuCl2(PPh3)(LMe2{H}(2)) (2) in which the ruthenium atom is coordinated to the nitrogen atoms of the two deprotonated amides and the central pyridine of 1. The two pendant pyridines in 2 are both protonated, and hydrogen bonds are formed to the coordinated chloride positioned in the molecular cleft between these two groups. Both of the chlorides in 2 can be replaced by other anions in simple metathesis reactions, and treatment of 2 with excess SCN-or CH3CO2-yields the corresponding complexes RuX2(PPh3)(LMe2{H}(2)) (X: SCN-, 3; CH3CO2-, 4). Treatment of 2 with NO2- also results in displacement of the chlorides, but in this case; the protons on the pendant pyridines are lost and the nitrosyl-containing complex Ru(NO2)(NO)(PPh3)(LMe2) (5) is formed. Single-crystal X-ray structure determinations have been carried out for the following compounds: 1, space group C2/c, a = 13.588(6) Angstrom, b = 11.518(2) Angstrom, c = 12.731(3) Angstrom, Z = 4, V= 1826.7 Angstrom(3); 2, space group P (1) over bar, a = 10.482(5) Angstrom, b = 11.349(8) Angstrom, c 15.710(4) Angstrom, Z = 2, V = 1689(2) Angstrom(3); 5, space group P (1) over bar, a=12.204(2) Angstrom, b = 13.065(3) Angstrom, c 14.722(6) Angstrom, Z = 2, V = 1973.9(10) Angstrom(3).