On June 12, 1999, a battalion of Russian peacekeepers under the command of Colonel of the Airborne Forces Sergei Pavlov (the general leadership of the march was provided by Colonel Nikolai Ignatov), after having carried out a raid of six hundred kilometers through the territory. of Bosnia and Yugoslavia, captured the Slatina airfield in Kosovo Pristina, which shocked the representatives of the NATO bloc. They approached the airfield a few hours later, when our paratroopers had already dug in. Colonel Pavlov, a direct participant in the events, tells.
“It was clearly established: at five o’clock in the morning on June 12, the reinforced battalion, as an advanced detachment, was forced to take possession of the Slatina airfield. The distance was approximately 600 kilometers along the highway that drive south through Belgrade to the Greek ports Through the mountains it was much closer and shorter.But there are no reliable roads there.Moreover, we understood: any explosion, blockade, dismantled bridge, and that’s it, khan.
Russian paratroopers enter Pristina. July 1999
Airborne Forces Commander Georgy Shpak later told me that four-star General Wesley Clark, who led NATO’s combined armed forces in Europe, ordered the Hercules to be raised in Munich with the Rangers, transferred to Slatina and we were detained in any way. Supposedly, during takeoff on the plane, an oxygen cylinder detached and started walking around the cabin. Well, the pilots decided to turn back.
They didn’t stop us, you know? Of course, she expected them to try to intercept. That’s why we drove non-stop. Armored personnel carriers loaded with “Urals”, road trains with trailers …
We were afraid of being late. And it’s not just NATO. Kosovar and Albanian mobsters also had to get ahead. The last Serbs were leaving “Slatina”, and these Arkharovites were already on the alert, hiding in the bushes. We arrived a few minutes early. Tutelka fits into a tyutelka.
We lost most of the time in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. People already knew about the movement of the column and came out to greet us. The whole city did not sleep. Shouts, tears of joy, shots into the air.
Colonel of the Airborne Forces Sergei Pavlov. Photo: Vladimir Nordvik
I ordered to close the hatches and in no case stop. Ride, ride, ride! Otherwise we won’t move. The Serbs threw flowers on the armored vehicles, tried to feed them, treat them with wine and cigarettes, almost kissed the armor.
I still wake up in cold sweats if I dream about that operation… We had a colossal responsibility. Not just for generals. The whole world already knew that the Russians had taken Slatina. We constantly felt like we had a country behind us. In his name, we issue a bold challenge. And each of us realized that we were involved in this event.
The first day we clashed with the British. They were very serious. We were walking in a tank column, and our armored personnel carrier was standing there, blocking the way. Well, the British looked and got more impudent. The platoon commander, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Yatsykov, ordered the soldier to jump out of the armor and uncover the grenade launcher, aiming it at the tanks. They stopped and turned around.”
