Wartime events Aftermath Aspects The incident at the Pristina airport was a military confrontation between the forces of Russia and NATO on 12 June 1999, following the end of the Kosovo War.

The conflict was resolved through a peaceful agreement, but also due to the potential threat posed by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which opposed the Russian presence and could have escalated the situation further.

His superior officer was US Admiral James O. Ellis, Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe, based in Naples.

At 10:30 this was confirmed by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and by pictures from CNN which showed that the Russians had hastily painted "KFOR" in white letters on their vehicles where they had previously been "SFOR".

British paratroopers sat by Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters in a hot cornfield for most of the afternoon before standing down to prepare for the following day's move into Kosovo.

[6][7] Jackson flew by helicopter to Pristina in the evening to hold a press conference, then went to meet General Viktor Zavarzin, who commanded the small Russian force.

Sheltering from heavy rain in the wrecked airport terminal, Jackson shared a flask of whisky with Zavarzin, leading to a warming of relations.

[8][9] Negotiations were conducted throughout the stand-off during which Russia insisted that its troops would only be answerable to Russian commanders and that it would retain an exclusive zone for its own peacekeepers.

Clark was subsequently removed from his NATO post early by General Hugh Shelton, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

[9] In the following years, both Jackson and Blunt, the latter of whom having started a successful music career after leaving the British Army, have spoken extensively about the incident in lectures and interviews.