[WonderMomma]

Seems shit is kicking off in yet another part of the world. I should have started this thread days ago. Will do my best to post videos of the last few days, just might take some time.

1 - 2. "Serbian local media reported that explosions were heard in Kosovo where the Serbs had built barricades.

And in Belgrade itself, a rally is taking place in support of the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija."

BACKGROUND INFO from Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_North_Kosovo_crisis

Beginning on 31 July 2022, tensions between Serbia and Kosovo[a] heightened due to the expiration of the eleven-year validity period of documents for cars on 1 August 2022, between the Government of Kosovo and the Serb minority in North Kosovo.

July
A number of Kosovo Serb civilians in North Kosovo began building barricades on 31 July after Kosovo's announcement that citizens of Serbia that enter Kosovo will receive documents for entry and exit.[17][18] This led to KFOR sending troops to patrol the streets, while the Kosovo Security Force ended up closing the border.[19][20] Nikola Selaković, then-minister of foreign affairs of Serbia, claimed that Albin Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, was "preparing hell in the coming days" for Serbs who live in Kosovo.[21] It was also reported that air raid sirens were turned on in Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica.[22] Roads were blocked near Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings.[23]

Later that day, the ministry of defence of Serbia stated that "the Serbian Army did not cross the border into Kosovo".[24] Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, also stated that he would want the ban to be postponed.[25] He also stated that "if they don't want to keep the peace, Serbia will win", while Kurti accused Vučić and Petar Petković, the director of the office for Kosovo and Metohija, for being responsible for the unrest.[26][27] According to Serbia, one Serb was wounded at the Jarinje border crossing, although Kosovo denied it and stated that only some shooting occurred.[28][29] Additionally, one gunmen also fired on the police.[23]

August
After negotiations with the representatives of the United States and the European Union, Kosovo announced on 1 August that it would temporarily postpone the ban, after stating the decision a day prior.[30][31] This agreement was welcomed by Josep Borrell, the high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Miroslav Lajčák, the European Union Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.[30] Additionally, Kurti announced that Kosovo would apply to become a member of the European Union.[32] On the same day, Balkan Insight reported that social media users spread disinformation about a "full-scale war".[33] A day later, KFOR confirmed that the barricades that were put up on 31 July were removed, after which the border was opened again.[34][35]

The Kosovo Police reported that one of their patrols was attacked with fire on 6 August near the border with Serbia.[36] Opposition political parties in Kosovo accused Kurti of "scaring investors about a possible new conflict with Serbia"; Kurti denied the accusations and instead blamed Russia and Vladimir Putin, accusing them of spreading disinformation.[37][38] At a joint news conference and negotiations with Kurti and Vučić, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, stated that "NATO urges restraint but stands ready to intervene if needed".[39][40] A day later, Borrell had a meeting with Kurti and Vučić; Borrell stated that the meeting ended without an agreement, but that the talks would also resume in the following days.[41][42] On 19 August, NATO deployed further KFOR forces in North Kosovo for peacekeeping purposes.[43] Additionally, Vučić stated that KFOR forces should "do their job" and vowed to defend Kosovo Serbs if NATO failed to do so.[44]

Borrell announced that the license plate dispute was settled on 27 August.[45] It was announced that Serbia agreed to abolish entry and exit documents for Kosovo ID holders while Kosovo committed to refrain from implementing such measures for Serbian ID holders.[45] Vučić stated that he was "very happy that we found a solution".[46] Igor Simić, the vice president of the Serb List, stated that "this was the victory of Serbian diplomacy".[47] Kurti also praised the agreement, but received criticism from opposition parties in Kosovo due to allegedly continuing the policy of his opponent Hashim Thaçi.[48][49] The agreement also received criticism from the centre-right People's Party and far-right Dveri political parties in Serbia.[49]

October
The Kosovar government, under pressure from the United States and the EU, again agreed to postpone the switch of car licence plates from 1 September to 31 October. Further calls for a ten-month deferral by Western countries on October 25 were ignored by Kosovo officials.[50][51]

On 27 October in response to the announcement, leader of the Kosovar Serbs Goran Rakić, stated that "If Pristina starts enforcing the confiscation of vehicles, we will block all crossings and entrances from the north to central Kosovo" but assured that "all democratic and peaceful means" would be used to resist the move.[52]

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that "difficult times are ahead of our people" when asked what would happen on 1 November ahead of the deadline.[51]

On October 28, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced a phased implementation of the change of license plates up until 25 April 2023. Starting from 1–21 November, holders of Serbian plates will initially be reprimanded, then for the next two months up until January 21, 2023 a measure of fines will be introduced before probational plates would be forcefully imposed upon them.[53]

November
Serbian political representatives announced the withdrawal of all Kosovo Serbs from government institutions including municipal administrations, courts, law enforcement, and the Kosovar parliament in protest of the recent measures. Kosovar police officers of Serbian descent were subsequently televised handing in their resignations whilst several thousand Serb demonstrators in North Mitrovica demanded the formation of a Community of Serb Municipalities and an immediate annulment of the new license policy.[54][55]

On 6 November Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said that a proposal submitted by France and Germany offering Serbia a faster track to EU membership in exchange for Kosovo's membership in the United Nations was rejected on the grounds that it "starts from the precedent that the independence of Kosovo is already a foregone conclusion" and that "Serbia cannot accept that".[54]

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused Serbia of "sabotage" and urged the Serbs not to "boycott or abandon Kosovo's institutions".[56]

Drone incidents
In early November, the Serbian Ministry of Defence claimed that several drones had violated Serbian airspace. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, serving as supreme commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, subsequently issued an order to "eliminate" any drones entering Serbian airspace and had placed Serbian forces on "high alert".

On 2 November, the Serbian Ministry of Defence claimed that a "commercial drone" originating from the territory of Kosovo was intercepted and destroyed near the army barracks located in the vicinity of Raška, 250 kilometres southwest from Belgrade. No further information was provided.

Kosovo Defence Minister Armend Mehaj denied that drones were flying into Serbia from Kosovo.

December
On 9 December, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that Serbia was close to deploying its troops to the north of Kosovo after claiming the lives of the Serb minority there were "being threatened," and that the NATO-led Kosovo Force was "failing to protect them".[58] Roads were blocked by ethnic Serbs and gunfire was reported.[59]

On 10 December, ethnic Serbs continued to block roads in the north of Kosovo including two border crossings using construction equipment, agricultural vehicles and European Union donated ambulances and trucks.[60] That night, a European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) patrol vehicle was attacked by a stun grenade near Rudare.[61] Josep Borrell condemned the attack stating that "The EU will not tolerate attacks on EULEX Kosovo or use of violent, criminal acts in the north" and demanded that barricades be removed.[62] NATO also condemned the attack.[63] The attack follows an earlier attack on a Kosovo Police patrol vehicle on 8 December in which one officer was injured.[64]

Reactions
In early August, Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, commented on the tensions that occurred on 31 July and stated that Kosovo should join the Open Balkan economic and political zone in order to avoid potential war.[65] Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the ministry of foreign affairs of Russia, accused Kosovo Albanians of escalating the conflict, while Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, stated that Russia demands that "all rights of Serbs to be respected".[66] Richard Grenell, the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations under the administration of Donald Trump, stated that he was disappointed with the progress of the negotiations and urged the Biden administration to appoint an envoy for the negotiations.[67]

Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, stated that the Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is "ready to help the Serbian people in Kosovo, even beyond its capacity".[68]

[WonderMomma]

1. Posted 11 December

Serbian media reports that Serbian armored vehicles have been moved to the demarcation line in the direction of the Serbian part of Northern Kosovo.

Also, according to Serbian media, the Niš Corps arrived in the city of Rashka together with the 63rd Airborne Brigade and is only 7 km from the demarcation line.


**In general, at the moment, the situation has somewhat stabilized.
No explosions or gunfights have been reported.
The protesting Serbs continue to be at the barricades.
KFOR units are deployed to prevent riots.
The Serbian army is deployed along the demarcation line.

2. Posted 9 December

Kosovo special forces entered the Serbian region against the backdrop of tensions with Serbia, - Kosovo-Online.

More than 200 special forces of Kosovo in 50 armored vehicles entered the territory of the North Mitrovica municipality, where the majority of the population is Serbs, and blocked it.

[WonderMomma]

1. Posted 8 December

Serbs living in the city of Kosovska Mitrovica began to gather in the streets after the entry into the territory of the force units of the Kosovo Police - TV channel Pink.

In turn, the Kosovo police said that they had deployed officers to Serb-populated areas to ensure security.

2. (No media) Posted 12 December

Kosovo will officially apply to join the EU on December 15, local TV channel RTK reports.

The journalists got acquainted with the document justifying the application. In particular, it refers to a broad public consensus in favor of EU membership.

The position of the European Union regarding the application is currently unknown. However, today, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia and Romania, which are members of the bloc, do not recognize Kosovo's independence.

[WonderMomma]

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addressed the nation after the National Security Council in connection with the growing escalation in Kosovo:

-He called on Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo to maintain peace;
-Stated that the US and Pristina are not abiding by any agreement reached regarding Kosovo;
-He noted that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have a difficult night ahead.
-Serbia has assurances from KFOR and the EU that they will not take violent actions against the demonstrators.
-Negotiations with Kosovo, KFOR, the EU and the USA will be continued.


**The day before, the Kosovo police arrested Serb Dejan Pantic, a former policeman, at the Jarinje checkpoint.
Other Serbs went to the protest and started building barricades on the road so that Pantic could not be taken to Pristina.

The Kosovo police closed the Jarinje border point for entry and exit, and sent special forces to the north demanding that the Serbs dismantle the barricades by this evening.
Vucic said that Belgrade will ask NATO for permission to introduce Serbian security forces into Kosovo.

The US called on Serbia and Kosovo to immediately de-escalate.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Berbock, stated that the transfer of Serbian troops to the region is unacceptable.

[WonderMomma]

1. Posted 11 December

The situation between Serbia and Kosovo is escalating.

Serbian President Vučić said today would probably be the most difficult evening in his history.

Also, a video appeared, allegedly moving columns of Serbian special forces towards Kosovo.

2. Posted 10 December

An air raid is reported in the city of Kosovska Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, where Pristina continues to deploy police units

There are reports of internet outages in northern Kosovo.

[WonderMomma]

12 December
Serbian military equipment is heading towards the Kosovo border. On these frames passes the settlement of Ushche, which is 35 km from Rashka, almost on the border with the unrecognized republic

[WonderMomma]

At least three Mi-35 helicopters and a pair of J-22 combat aircraft of the Serbian Air Force are currently flying in close proximity to the administrative border with Kosovo.

[WonderMomma]

Serbian nationalists organised a rally in Belgrade last night in support of a military intervention in Kosovo and Metohija.

[WonderMomma]

NATO mission (KFOR) reinforces Jarinje checkpoint, - Serbian media.

Serbian protesters are already starting to gather there.

[WonderMomma]

The Serbian army is transporting large armaments to the Kosovo administrative border : local media

A column of 155 mm NORA self-propelled artillery batteries and military police were seen near the Yarinye checkpoint.