KOSOVO: PRISTINA: RUSSIAN SOLDIERS SECURE AIRPORT

(18 Jun 1999) Natural Sound

Russian forces based at Pristina airport have been clearing the area of mines and preparing the runway for the possible arrival of Russian reinforcements in the next few days.

A final decision on the Russian deployment is expected to be made in Finland on Friday.

Russian and American delegations are negotiating in Helsinki to work out how the Russians will be deployed in Kosovo.

Moscow sent about 200 troops into Pristina, the Kosovo capital, last weekend and gained control of the airport, ahead of NATO peacekeepers.

It was a move which surprised NATO countries and lent a sense of urgency to resolving the matter of Russia's role in the peacekeeping forces.

The Russians are still holed up at the airport, although officials say the Helsinki talks have tentatively settled the matter of NATO's access to the airport.

And there is evidence of good relations between British KFOR troops and the Russians.

A British liaison officer is on the base and British forces are supplying water and other essentials to their Russian counterparts.

The Russian forces are getting ready for the arrival of more of their troops to the region.

In the meantime, they occupy themselves with clearing the area of mines.

The runway lies empty and unused.

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