„The situation is under control, as you can see in the past few weeks, it’s just a regular exercise throughout Kosovo, with the aim of fulfilling the mandate of KFOR, which is to ensure peace,“ KFOR spokesperson Colonel Vincenzo Grasso told KoSSev. Belgrade-based agencies and national televisions have been reporting since this morning that more than 45 KFOR vehicles were spotted in the north of Kosovo which „entered the North with the support of a helicopter and stopped in Leposavic“. In the meantime, a KoSSev journalist reporting from the scene, confirmed a unit of KFOR soldiers in front of the „Boemi“ restaurant on the road between Leposavic and Lesak. The situation is calm and traffic is proceeding smoothly. Belgrade-based agencies and national televisions previously reported that KFOR soldiers „entered the north of Kosovo“, while also carrying equipment for „road blockades and barriers, such as construction machines, bulldozers, and wire“.
„This is a regular military exercise of the KFOR unit which has been running since yesterday and is taking place throughout Kosovo in several directions – also in the west and east zone. For example, KFOR units moved from Urosevac to Prizren yesterday and almost no one noticed. We do not have any special ‘target’, it’s an exercise of units throughout Kosovo and after the end of the exercise today the units will return to their camps,“Grasso explained, denying Belgrade-based news agency Tanjug’s allegations that KFOR was carrying equipment to „block the border“.
At the moment, there are several Hungarian KFOR military vehicles of different types – jeeps, trucks with white containers, armored vehicles, and one bulldozer, parked in front of the Boemi restaurant in the village of Dren, on the road between Leposavic and Lesak.
The media and civilians were banned fromentering the yard in front of the restaurant, the KFOR soldiers toldKoSSev around noon.
The situation is calm and normal. Traffic is proceeding smoothly.
Earlier today, Srpska lista vice president Igor Simic commented on the KFOR’s explanation for carrying out regular exercise towards maintaining peace and stability, by saying that it should „direct its units towards the south“ if it wanted to do so instead of the north.
Vidosav Aleksic from the village of Dren said that KFOR members arrived in over 20 vehicles, including a number of cranes, container loaders.
He says that one of the villagers talked with KFOR members and that he was told that they were ordered to station there, without receiving detailed explanations from their superiors.
Aleksic, the owner of a car repair shop located next to the „Boemi“ restaurant, says that people are „upset about the overall situation and the introduction of taxes, as well as because of voting on the law on the formation of the Kosovo Army scheduled for tomorrow“.
KFOR announced in November that it will conduct exercises throughout Kosovo, among other things, by „moving on the main roads throughout Kosovo in the coming days as part of exercises carried out in accordance with the mandate prescribed by Resolution 1244“.
„The situation is under control and KFOR will continue to protect all citizens in Kosovo, as we have done since 1999,“ KFOR said at that time.
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