KOSOVO: MORE RUSSIAN TROOPS ARRIVE UPDATE

(6 Jul 1999) Natural Sound

Three more Russian transport planes loaded with Russian troops and equipment have arrived in Kosovo.

NATO had delayed the deployment of Russian troops over the weekend by getting Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria to refuse Moscow permission to fly through their airspace.

But following negotiations between Moscow and NATO on Monday, the role of Russian peacekeepers was agreed on and the troops were allowed to depart.

Around 200 peacekeepers, 20 vehicles and 20 tons of cargo arrived in Pristina on Tuesday afternoon.

The troops and equipment, carried on Russian transport planes, touched down at Pristina's Slatina airport.

The first planeload of new Russian peacekeeping forces landed earlier on Tuesday.

Their arrival comes just a day after NATO brokered an agreement with Moscow on their deployment.

Earlier on Tuesday, British K-FOR Commander Lieutenant Michael Jackson met his Russian counterpart General Yeftokovic.

General Yeftokovic arrived with the first Russian planeload on Tuesday morning.

It's hoped the presence of the Russian troops will go some way to easing the fears of the Serbs and Kosovo gypsies, who do not believe that K-FOR troops will protect them.

Serbs and Gypsies have come under attack from angry ethnic Albanians returning after being forced to flee.

Under the new agreement, the Russian reinforcements can patrol in the northern sector of the area controlled by U-S troops, the northwestern part of the German area and a small piece of the French sector.

Once the remaining peacekeepers arrive, Russia will have 3-thousand-600 troops in Kosovo, including a contingent of 750 at the Slatina Airport near Pristina, which will be under Russian command.

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