Russian Aid Arrives for Kosovo Serbs

BERLIN — An airliner loaded with Russian humanitarian aid destined for Serbs living in Kosovo arrived in the region yesterday, in the first of several deliveries underlining the alliance between Moscow and Belgrade.

The arrival of baby food and medicines was the first load in what is expected to total 140 tons of aid. President Putin ordered the flights, but Kosovo's government in Pristina has warned it will not allow the aid to enter the country "without supervision." The move underscores Russian determination to keep up pressure on Kosovo, over a month after the former Serb province unilaterally declared independence. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, warned Moscow would veto Kosovo's membership of the United Nations.