MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The deputy defense minister in charge of the Land Forces, Nikolai Kormiltsev has dismissed claims from the Kosovo energy company about alleged debt incurred by Russian peacekeepers between 1999 and 2003.
"The claims of the KEK energy company in Kosovo alleging that the Russian peacekeepers left the area without paying USD575,000 in electricity bills are groundless. Under the agreements, local authorities bear the energy costs incurred by peacekeepers including those of the Russian troops. All countries' contingents in the KFOR international force are acting on these terms," Kormiltsev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
"Moreover, Russia donated section barracks, a boiler and other valuables after pulling out the peacekeeping contingent," he said.
Such claims are aimed at demeaning the contribution of Russian servicemen to the peacekeeping operation, he said.
"However, it is unimportant. Both the local population and the peacekeeping headquarters in the region praised the activities of the Russian troops in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.