Russian troops block NATO forces at Pristina
checkpoint...06/13/99
(CNN) Tense moments developed Sunday at a checkpoint in Pristina,
as Russian troops blocked a route being used by NATO peacekeepers entering the
provincial capital. The incident occurred near the Pristina airport, as NATO troops
rolled into Kosovo during Operation Joint Guardian, one of the largest military
undertakings in Europe since World War II. The NATO peacekeepers are preparing
for the return of hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees.
Officials said a standoff developed at the checkpoint, with
a small unit of Russian troops blocking the route and not allowing British peacekeeping
troops to pass, as they traveled toward their headquarters and the airport.
CNN's Tom Mintier said that the Russians apparently controlled
both the ground and the air in the region, and not even journalists were allowed
to pass.
