BOSNIA: SARAJEVO: ARRIVAL OF UKRAINIAN UN TROOPS

(4 Aug 1995) Natural Sound

Some 80 Ukrainian troops arrived in Sarajevo Friday after an exhausting 21 hour trip from the fallen Bosnian enclave of Zepa.

The Ukrainians had been stationed in the former safe haven until it was recently overrun by Bosnian Serb forces.

The Ukrainians fired their weapons in the air once inside the Marshall Tito barracks in the centre of Sarajevo to celebrate their return.

Exhausted but elated, about 80 Ukrainian soldiers returned to Sarajevo early Friday from the fallen safe area of Zepa.

The peacekeepers were the last of 200 soldiers from France, Britain, Russia and Ukraine to leave the eastern enclave, overrun by rebel Serbs two weeks ago.

The other 120 soldiers had returned Thursday.

Delays turned the Ukrainians' 50-mile trip into a 21-hour odyssey over mountainous terrain through Serb- and government-held territory.

The withdrawal, which will prevent either warring side from using the peacekeepers again in Zepa as hostages, was made after two weeks of fruitless talks about evacuating remaining civilians.

Over two thousand Muslims are believed to be hiding in the hills around Zepa-- the Bosnian government is concerned that without the UN's protection- they will be slaughtered by rebel Serbs.

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