One ethnic Serb was wounded by a bullet, six police officers were injured on Wednesday in clashes that broke out in the north of the country.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – October 14, 2021 – International News
For example, the Kosiv police said on Wednesday that police officers met resistance in Mitrovica during an operation to seize contraband goods.
The statement said police responded when protesters in Mitrovica used hand grenades and light-noise grenades against officers. According to the police, six employees were injured.
At the same time, Serbian state television showed footage of people fleeing tear gas. Several people were reported injured. Similar clashes have been reported in the nearby town of Zachary.
The news portal Kosovo Online quoted Zlatan Elek, the head of a hospital in Mitrovica, as saying that one person had been seriously injured.
“Damage to the shoulder blade and ribs was inflicted by a firearm … He is in intensive care and is in serious condition,” Elek said.
Earlier, the media reported that the situation in the cities worsened when police began to use tear gas, and the gathered citizens began to throw stones.
Another conflict between the authorities of the partially recognized Kosovo and the Serbs living in its northern part began on September 20, when the authorities ordered not to allow cars with Serbian license plates into Kosovo territory. Under the new rules, all owners of such cars must put temporary Kosovo license plates, valid for two months, at the entrance to Kosovo, paying a duty of five euros.
Kosovo authorities explain their actions by the principle of reciprocity – Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, does not recognize license plates issued by the Kosovo authorities, so to enter Serbia since 2008, car owners from Kosovo must receive temporary license plates for two months and pay for it toll.
In response to the new rules, ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo staged a protest, blocking trucks at two major border crossings on the Kosovo-Serbia border – Yarina and Brnjak. Authorities raided special forces units in the region and tried to disperse the protesters with tear gas, but failed to do so, and the action continues to this day. On September 22, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti offered Serbia mutual recognition of license plates, but there was no response.
Both sides began blaming each other for the escalation of the conflict. On September 23, Serbian media reported that Kosovo police had beaten three Serbs near a checkpoint (Kosovo authorities denied the incident), after which Serbian troops were put on full alert. On September 25, Serbian Air Force fighters patrolled the border with Kosovo. On the same day, Kosovo authorities said that unknown individuals had set fire to two branches of the interior ministry near the border, stressing that the episodes “showed what would have happened at the border checkpoints if special forces had not been on duty there.”
The EU and NATO have demanded that Kosovo withdraw special forces and the Serbs lift the border blockade. On the evening of September 26, Serbia itself made demands for NATO – President Alexander Vucic said that Belgrade was waiting for the alliance to intervene within 24 hours, saying that “if NATO does not respond, Serbia will respond.” However, he agreed that Belgrade’s “reaction” was possible only if the pogroms of the Serb population began in Kosovo. A few hours later, KFOR troops were spotted at the Yarina border checkpoint. A statement from the organization stressed that it was “closely monitoring security in Kosovo” and “increasing the number of regular patrols.”
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Source: Ukrgate