SERBIA: RUSSIAN TROOPS MOVING TOWARDS KOSOVO

(11 Jun 1999) Natural Sound

In an unexpected development on Friday a convoy of Russian peacekeeping forces could be the first troops to step into Kosovo.

The peacekeeping servicemen stationed in Bosnia and Hercegovina are already on their way to the province after leaving Belgrade early on Friday.

Early reports from Moscow reveal that the men will be setting up a staging area while negotiations with NATO continue.

A convoy of Russian troops numbering up to 1-thousand in armoured vehicles, transporters and trucks, crossed over from Bosnia into Serbia at midmorning and were expected to reach Kosovo by the afternoon.

The Russian vehicles have been hastily marked K-FOR, the insignia of the Kosovo peacekeeping force backed by the U-N.

The development came amid continuing debate in Moscow between a U-S and a Russian delegation about Russian participation in any Kosovo peace force.

The Russians - particularly senior officers - insist they will not put their troops under NATO command, something NATO has insisted upon. The second day of talks on the issue adjourned on Friday with no word of progress.

The huge column of armoured vehicles, trucks, cisterns, and other vehicles passed near the Serbian towns of Sabac and Dobanovci. The military vehicles shadowed civilian cars and vans as it continued on towards Kosovo via a Belgrade highway.

The convoy, headed by a Yugoslav government car, contained more than 50 vehicles, flying the Russian colours.

Hours after the Russians had crossed over from Bosnia, NATO spokesman Major David Scanlon confirmed the development.

He said the Russian soldiers were headed toward Kosovo and would return to Bosnia after preparing for the arrival of the more permanent Russian peacekeeping contingent.

NATO forces had planned to enter the province by Friday but delays forced them to postpone the deployment.

The entry of the first troops into Kosovo from neighbouring Macedonia, originally expected early on Friday, has been pushed back, possibly as much as 24 hours.

NATO sources did not specify the cause of the delay.

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