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More Russian peacekeepers are expected to arrive in Kosovo as early as Saturday  MILITARY PLAN: RELATED VIDEO CNN's Jim Clancy reports on a shattered Yugoslav economy (June 25) Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Jim Clancy looks at the debate in Yugoslav parliament (June 24) Windows Media 28K 80K Serb civilians are afraid to remain in Kosovo. CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault talks with them (June 24) Windows Media 28K 80K To view the latest video streams on the strikes in Kosovo, use the arrow buttons below to scroll through the video gallery.        Windows Media Real        28 K 80 K  ALSO: U.S. Marines come under fire, kill 1 gunman, Pentagon says War crime clues beneath Kosovo rubble  IN-DEPTH SPECIAL: Focus on Kosovo

June 25, 1999
Web posted at: 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 GMT)

In this story: Airstrike damage estimated at $30 billion Gypsies among forgotten victims Albanians, Serbs protect each other RELATED STORIES, SITES

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Russian troops are expected to begin arriving Saturday in Kosovo to take part in NATO peacekeeping operations.

Meanwhile, Yugoslavia, which officially ended a state of war on Thursday, must deal with recovering from NATO airstrikes that caused an estimated $30 billion in damages.

In Moscow, the upper house of Russia's parliament voted Friday to send 3,600 additional troops to the Yugoslav province.

Russian officials said some 300 troops would be dispatched Saturday, with a larger contingent due Monday. Full deployment will take several weeks.

Russian peacekeepers will not be controlling their own sector in Kosovo, but will be working under their own military command in zones controlled by French, German and U.S. peacekeepers. However, the Russians may be instrumental in helping provide shelter for Serbs who remain in Kosovo.

"The Russian leadership is not at all sure that NATO is going to disarm the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) and that could create another humanitarian disaster, this time for the Serbs," said political analyst Vyacheslav Nikonov.

Some Russian legislators wondered how their financially strapped country can pay for the troops.

"Tell me where we are going to get the money from? It will cost Russia $150 million," said Gov. Alexander Lebed from Krasnoyarsk.

A few hundred Russian troops already maintain a presence in Pristina. They arrived unexpectedly ahead of NATO forces and took control of the Pristina airport two weeks ago.

Airstrike damages estimated at $30 billion

In Belgrade, the Yugoslav Parliament has officially ended the state of war declared at the beginning of the NATO bombing campaign in late March.

The airstrikes caused an estimated $30 billion in damage to the Yugoslav economy, according to several independent Yugoslav economists called Group 17.

Group 17 calculated that Yugoslavia's gross domestic product has dropped 40%, and that industrial production has fallen 44.5%.

Economist Mladjen Dinkic said that gross domestic product, per capita, will decrease to less than $1,000, down from $1,600 last year. He estimated 250,000 jobs had been lost.

Western leaders have expressed reluctance about helping rebuild Yugoslavia, so long as President Slobodan Milosevic remains in power.

However, Yugoslav officials said they hoped Western countries will provide aid to repair the electrical power supply before winter arrives.

Gypsies among forgotten victims

Ethnic violence still plagues Kosovo, despite appeals by visiting NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana on Thursday to put aside hatred to rebuild the war-scarred province.

Many Serbs have fled the province, worried that Kosovar Albanians are taking revenge for atrocities reportedly at the hands of Serb forces during NATO airstrikes.

The NATO airstrikes have caused an estimated $30 billion in damage to the Yugoslav economy

Three men were found dead in the Serb-run Pristina University late Thursday. A school dean said the men appeared to have been beaten and shot. Shops and homes of departed Serbs have been found looted in Pristina and elsewhere.

In Metrovica, Gypsies, or Romas, are getting caught in the middle of feuding between ethnic Serbs and Albanians.

Albanians have accused the gypsies of collaborating with the Serbs, helping them torture and kill Albanians.

The charge is an echo of the past. In World War II, Gypsies were accused of working with the Nazis, even though tens of thousands of Gypsies died in German-occupied concentration camps.

Now returning Albanians exact their revenge, descending on abandoned Gypsy homes. One girl said she had come only to retrieve possessions stolen by the Gypsies, who have fled.

Albanians, Serbs protect each other

In the village of Srbica, Serbs protected Albanian homes and lives

Near Prizren, ethnic Albanians returning to the town of Srbica found their homes intact, protected by Serb neighbors against other Serbs who torched many of the surrounding villages.

The two groups had good relations before the war, said one ethnic Albanian resident.

"We never quarreled or fought," Mirada Choti said. "We went to each others' weddings and funerals."

Others Albanians around Prizren lost their homes or lives. But Serbs in Srbica protected their neighbors from armed Serb forces, who asked local residents if they "know any Albanians you want us to kill," said Zecir Choti.

Eventually forced out of the province in early May, the ethnic Albanians have returned to find everything the same, except their Serb neighbors have left.

Now the Albanians are protecting the homes of their friends, hoping they will return.

Correspondents Christiane Amanpour, Jim Clancy, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Steve Harrigan contributed to this report.

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