Talk:Incident at Pristina airport

Campaignbox
There is a problem with the Campaignbox. Please help fix it. I do not want a good article to go to waste. American Idiot1 (talk) 21:31, 22 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Appears to be done. VQuakr (talk) 05:38, 24 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Actually, it's not, I removed the offending code while I was declining speedy deletion because I tried tinkering with it a bit and couldn't find the problem. American Idiot1, you might try copying that code (it's in the page history, just view a revision before mine) into a page in your userspace (i.e. User:American Idiot1/sandbox) playing around with it. You could also try asking one of the people who built the template- check the history for Template:Campaignbox. Good luck! l'aquatique  [talk]  15:21, 24 January 2011 (UTC)
 * ✅ Ok, added it back; the Kosovo template threw me off. An edit summary on the edit that removed it would have been helpful. VQuakr (talk) 16:39, 24 January 2011 (UTC)
 * My apologies, it was an oversight. l'aquatique  [talk]  17:14, 24 January 2011 (UTC)
 * No apology necessary; unnecessary snarkiness like above is a great argument against me editing in the morning. Regards! VQuakr (talk) 02:27, 25 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Nah, sometimes I need to be snarked back into paying attention. l'aquatique  [talk]  02:48, 25 January 2011 (UTC)

Умникам не знающим историю
The first: Article isn't correctly named. This "incident" (as it name Pindoses) actually carries the name "the Throw to Prishtina" (look Russian variant of this article). The second: Junus-bek Evkurov didn't participate in the Throw to Prishtina. It, as the officer of Military investigation, already was in a Slatina in May, 1999, providing control over a situation (well that ubiquitous Americans haven't arrived and haven't grasped the airport before us - Russian). The third: operation on Slatina capture general Zavarzin Victor Mihajlovich ordered. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Добрый ТиП (talk • contribs) 15:09, 6 February 2011 (UTC)
 * The new page name seems like an awkward construction of a name for the English version of this article, even if it is a literal transliteration of the name given in Russian-language sources. Can we build a consensus to change back to Incident at Pristina? Thanks! VQuakr (talk) 05:36, 7 February 2011 (UTC)


 * Article not full reflects events "INCIDENT In Prishtina". Such sensation that Russian landing has fallen down from the sky. Badly, very badly, western colleagues respected by me.--Добрый ТиП (talk) 05:45, 7 February 2011 (UTC)
 * Can you rephrase? I am having trouble understanding your reasoning. If you are saying that the article does not fully discuss the entire "incident," then I suggest that expanding the article is a better solution than moving it. Thanks! VQuakr (talk) 05:50, 7 February 2011 (UTC)


 * My English is machine translation, therefore my phrases can not coincide with my thoughts. I didn't mean - to transfer something somewhere. I had meant - to add article. There are here those who understands Russian and is capable to translate Russian expressions into English?! --Добрый ТиП (talk) 13:46, 7 February 2011 (UTC)


 * I've just moved this back to its original name 'The throw on Prishtina' isn't the English-language name for this event and isn't good grammar. Per WP:NAME we need to use the common English-language name for things and titles need to be correct grammatically. Nick-D (talk) 10:46, 8 February 2011 (UTC)

Russian variant
Throw to Prishtina — March-throw Companies of the Russian landing, a part of the international peace-making contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the city of Prishtina (Kosovo) the capture under airport "Slatina" control (now the International airport of Prishtina) before coming armies of the NATO was which purpose.

After the beginning of military operations between the Yugoslavian army and Liberation army of Kosovo, the Serbian authorities have been accused of ethnic cleanings. After incident in Rachake the block of the NATO has demanded to disengage the Serbian armies from the Serbian autonomous region Kosovo and Metohija mainly occupied by Albanians, and also to place NATO armies in territory of Kosovo and Metohii, that is in territory of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia hasn't executed the ultimatum [1] As a result of On March, 24th 1999 NATO armies have begun military operation concerning Yugoslavia.

Formal occasion of the beginning of military operations (casus belli) was default of the NATO requirement by Yugoslavia «to disengage the Serbian armies from the Serbian autonomous region Kosovo and Metohija». Within March, April, May, June, 1999 of an army of the NATO spent military operations in territory of Yugoslavia. The basic part of military operation consisted in application of aircraft for bombardment of strategic military and civil objects in territory of Serbia. Intrusion of land forces of the NATO has been planned on On June, 12th 1999 from Macedonia. As the main strategic object for prime capture the international airport "Slatina" located on removal of 15 kilometers on the southeast from the city of Prishtina — the unique airport with a runway, capable to accept any types of planes, including heavy military-transport has been recognized. Through the given airport it was planned to make intrusion большо?го quantities of forces of the NATO.

The Russian Federation from the very beginning of bombardments of the NATO of Yugoslavia tried political way to resist to aggression of the countries the organization of the North Atlantic contract concerning the independent state, however all attempts of Russia somehow to stop bombardments and to resolve the arisen conflict peacefully were ignored by the western countries.

For a designation Russia the presence at world politics and as for maintenance of own geopolitical interests in the Balkan region, a management of the Ministry of Defence of Russia and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia, with the consent of The president of Russia  B.N.Yeltsin, the confidential decision on capture of airport "Slatina" and input on territory of Kosovo and Metohii of the Russian peace-making contingent was accepted. The given decision went to a cut with military plans of the NATO that could lead to the beginning of full-scale war in this connection operation was necessary for spending immediately, unexpectedly for the NATO and as it is possible confidentially

In May, 1999 major Junus-bek Evkurov who is at that point in time as a part of the international peace-making contingent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the higher military command of the Russian Federation receives absolutely confidential task: as a part of group of 18 fighters of special troops of Главное разведывательное управление Генерального штаба Вооруженных сил of Russia is reserved to get on territory of Kosovo and Metohii and to take over the control of strategic object — airport "Slatina" and to be prepared for arrival of the basic forces of the Russian contingent. J.Evkurovym a task in view has been executed also its group, operating under various legends, secretly for surrounding Serbs and Albanians in the end of May, 1999 took under complete control airport "Slatina". Detailed circumstances of the given operation are coded till now.

also... — Preceding unsigned comment added by Добрый ТиП (talk • contribs) 13:57, 7 February 2011 (UTC)

Military Infobox uneeded
This was not a military conflict although it had involved with soldiers, but bloodshed did not occur so... Don't you think the Pristina Airport standoff shoudln't have the infobox, I'm just wondering. FRYugoslavHero (talk) 21:08, 21 September 2011 (UTC)

Unclear terminology
Part of this article reads "His delay was sanctioned by British General Mike Jackson." Unforunately, the word "sanctioned" has two nearly-opposite meanings in English. It could mean that the delay, in defiance of orders, was supported by Mike Jackson, but it could also mean that the delay, in defiance of orders, was punished by Mike Jackson. Can someone please clarify? --147.9.68.178 (talk) 00:10, 14 June 2012 (UTC)

Growing mythology
There are myths about this incident growing rapidly now that fewer people remember what really happened. In particular, the degree of confrontation, the aggression of Gen. Clarke's plans, and the description of James Blunt's role all seem to be increasingly exaggerated.

First, there is no way in hell that Blunt commanded the contingent as our article states. In June 1999 Blunt was a 25 year old Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry. He served in the FRR (armoured reconnaissance.) As such, any operational command would normally have been as a troop commander with 4 armoured vehicles and 12 men.

Note that some sources state that Blunt was a captain at the time of the incident. As the 2nd reference above shows, this is not correct. However even if he had been temporarily acting in the role, a captain in the FRR is second in command -- not commander -- of a squadron, which is just over 100 men.

Total forces at the area at the time were a multi-national brigade (several thousand men), and the most senior NATO commander actually present at the airfield was General Sir Mike Jackson. (General Wes Clarke turned up early the next day.)

Secondly, many journalists have taken Gen. Jackson's "won't start World War III" quote, and seen an opportunity for a big beat up. However it is clear from Gen. Jackson's autobiography (Soldier, Bantam Press, 2007, ISBN 0593059077, pp 296 - 340) that no plan to attack or directly confront the Russians was ever so much as suggested. The claim in our article that Gen. Clarke ordered that the airport be "siezed by force" is completely unsupported by the general who is supposed to have refused this order.

The confrontational order that he did dispute was simply to put obstacles on the airfield to prevent Russian reinforcements from landing. (The first plan was for the obstacles to be helicopters, later this was changed to armoured vehicles.) This order was received many hours after they had made peaceful if tense contact with the Russians, established positions around the town and airfield, and Gen. Jackson had even shared a Scotch with the Russian commander. This order only went as far as a "warning order" before Gen. Jackson managed to get it rescinded. A "warning order" just means a warning to get ready for something; at no point was any executive order issued for Lt. Blunt to disobey. -- 202.63.39.58 (talk) 14:21, 29 March 2013 (UTC)


 * American presidents issue executive orders, not generals. It is interesting that war between NATO and Russian/Soviet forces were closer than ever before or after during this incident - Clark had ordered that the Russians be attacked and overpowered - yet there is little reporting or analysis of the incident. Clark and his superiors criticised Jackson and British forces for not attacking the Russians, despite war with Russia having been a distinct consequence of them obeying such orders. It reminds me of the American generals in Doctor Strangelove. I can understand the Jackson would choose to downplay the events in his autobiography. James Blunt would choose to talk his role up. Are there any academic articles on this event?Royalcourtier (talk) 00:43, 23 August 2015 (UTC)
 * This is an old thread and I long ago cut the James Blunt fancruft down to size. I happen to have a copy of Jackson's autobiography and I do not see that he is playing anything down. There seem to be a variety of book sources covering the incident which I have not had time to study in detail as yet.Charles (talk) 10:48, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

US support for Clark
There is no reference to the support of some senior US military officers for Clark. Jackson was severely criticized - one general saying he should have been court martialled. I do not have the reference to hand. The implication that senior US military figures had a Dr Strangelove hostility towards the Russians with an equal measure of disregard for the risk of starting WW3 over who controls a mountain is surely alarming, and of interest to military historians and all of us.125.236.202.112 (talk) 02:33, 7 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Without reliable sources there is no point to this.Charles (talk) 08:41, 7 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Or perhaps those senior US military officers felt that such a show of weakness in the face of Russian aggression would embolden Russia toward much greater aggression. Given everything that Russia has done in the last 20 years, if that was indeed the US officers' thinking then they were right. &mdash; Red XIV (talk) 08:50, 29 June 2022 (UTC)

Article unclear
The article is very unclear, as to what the incident actually is or was. The background doesn't serve as sufficient background and after reading the entire article it is still hard to take away what happened and what is notable about the incident ChenV99 (talk) 00:44, 16 January 2024 (UTC)