Russian police officers have completed their withdrawal from participation in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, a Russian spokesperson confirmed on March 25 2009, according to international and Kosovo media reports.

Kosovo daily Zeri quoted Leonid Pogorelov, commander of the Russian police contingent in UNMIK, said that the last Russian peacekeeper left Kosovo early this week.

"Our group was withdrawn in two stages. The first group left Kosovo on January 28, and the second one on February 23," Pogorelov said.

Russian police officers came to Kosovo within the framework of the peacekeeping operation nine years ago.

"We staged all sorts of police operations, from road patrolling to the arrests of criminals. In addition, we taught local police how to operate on the Kosovo territory," Pogorelov said.

He said that Russian officers had used weapons only twice, in 1999 and in 2000.

Pororelov was quoted as saying that UN officials had praised the high level of training of Russian police officers.

"According to foreign representatives of the mission, the prestige of Russian officers became quite high. Many foreign colleagues would like to work in Kosovo with Russians, because we faultlessly discharge our duties," he said.

Since the beginning of the UN mission in Kosovo, 400 officers from the Russian Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Services' border division have participated in the mission

Pogorelov said that the "mission's leadership has evaluated the current situation in Kosovo as being relatively stable".

Moscow is a firm backer of Serbia in rejecting Kosovo's February 2008 unilateral declaration of independence.