Russians end peacekeeping mission in Bosnia

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Hercegovina (AFP) May 28, 2003
Russian troops acting within the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) mission in Bosnia announced Wednesday that they have completed their seven-year-long peacekeeping mission in the country, Bosnian Serb radio reported.

Russia has deployed 320 soldiers in the 12,000-strong SFOR, while another 650 take part in the alliance's KFOR force in Kosovo. Russia has recently announced it would withdraw its soldiers from KFOR as well.

Russian soldiers Wednesday marked the end of their mission by a symbolic lowering of the flag at their base in the Bosnian northwestern town of Ugljevik.

Last soldiers will leave Bosnia by the end of June.

Both SFOR commander US General William Ward and Bosnian Serb army chief-of-staff Cvetko Savic thanked Russians on their contribution for establishing the peace over the past seven years since SFOR was deployed in Bosnia after the country's 1992-95 war.

WAR.WIRE