Russian General Unearths June 1999 Plan: 1100 parachutists, 120 Russian planes awaiting command for war in Kosovo

Three aircraft divisions, with 120 planes, were ready for war in Kosovo in June 1999.

The order to attack would have been given if only one bullet had been fired against our army. British General Michael Jackson, as we suspect, had this information when he said to the cameras on June 12th that the Russians could stay in Slatine [aeroport], because he would not risk the start of World War III. Yes, we were ready for everything”, so told the Serbian newspaper “Novost” Lieutenant General Nikolay Viktorovich Staskov, then head of the Russian Federation military air force headquarters.

According to him, three divisions of Russia's parachutists were then alarmed, while in 120 planes were loaded with combat equipment ready for a large department.

“President Jelcin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivanov and Defence Minister Sergeyev, the Russian Army March in Slatina, have forwarded it via CNN television and did not know what was happening”, the Russian general has said.

The Russian general tells how it came to the idea of Russian forces leaving for Kosovo.

After the political decision that our forces do not participate in the Kosovo peacekeeping operation, we sat in Moscow and talked about how to help the Serbian people, because we had an intelligence assessment from the ground what would happen. Ribkin, Ignatov and I contacted then Chief of General Staff Anatoly Vasilyevicch Kwasniov, and all the time along with us was the GRU. I, as a veteran from the Balkans, have been given the task of selecting the entity and determining the path to march. There were only three people on the vertical command”, the Russian general shows, follows the telegram.

Nikolay Viktorovich-Staskov says General Viktor Zavarzin joined his army column in Belgrade, but that he did not have a command post, nor did he know the details. “Desantnics” came to Kosovo in 10 hours. On the Serbian side of the command was President Slobodan Milosevic.

I don't know who has co-ordinated command with Milosevic from Moscow. We focused on developing the situation on the ground and coming of British General Jackson. This incident was a previous one. Only it wasn't known how it would end”, he says.

The Russian general assumes that the British had information on mobilization at Russian airports and that General Jackson had that in mind, when he said that “would not start the Third World War “.

Staskov argued that, along with the parachutists, long-term aviation with bombers was also ready and that “would probably start blowing up NATO's air ring around Serbia, as if the” needed.

“Brend several days the situation calmed down. An agreement was reached to exploit the airport and participate the Russian contingent in KFOR. Unfortunately, additional commitment was not required from the Serbian side of the country”, he said.

The Russian general thinks the Kosovo issue will be resolved at high levels. According to him, everything depends on the report of forces and confidence between Christians and Muslims at birth”.