KYIV. July 24 (Interfax-AVN) - As the situation in Kosovo stabilized, Ukraine has decided to withdraw its units from a battalion of KFOR's Multinational Brigade Northeast.
"Ninety-six Ukrainian peacekeepers of the 92nd detached airmobile company and 11th detached sapper platoon will be airlifted from Kosovo's capital city of Pristina to Kyiv on Friday by a Belgian Air Force plane. Another 48 peacekeepers and 39 special vehicles and automobiles of the Ukrainian contingent are going from Kosovo to Ukraine by train," the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported.
The Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent within KFOR joined the Belgian-Romanian-Luxembourg battalion of Multinational Brigade Northeast in early December 2002. Its core was comprised of the 92nd detached airmobile company and the 11th detached sapper platoon. Belgium covered all the expenses on maintenance of the Ukrainian units, except payment of salaries.
In addition to small arms, the Ukrainian peacekeepers were armed with 11 combat reconnaissance vehicles and nearly 30 automobiles of various purposes.
"At the moment, 321 Ukrainian servicemen of the national contingent of the Ukrainian-Polish peacekeeping battalion UkrPolBat continue accomplishing the peacekeeping mission within Multinational Bridade East in Kosovo," the press service reported.