Shots were also fired at the soldiers of the KFOR mission yesterday, during the riots in northern Kosovo. Three Hungarians were shot and wounded, but fortunately their lives are not in danger. This was reported by the command of the Kfor mission.
Yesterday forty-one KFOR soldiers, including 14 Italians, were injured in serious clashes between NATO troops and Serbian demonstrators in Zvecan, in northern Kosovo. Of the 14 Italian wounded, three are serious but not life-threatening: they would have suffered burns and fractures. The KFOR military had intervened to disperse the approximately 300 Serbian demonstrators who had sat in front of the Zvecan City Hall in the protest to contest the new ethnic Albanian mayor.
More protests are planned for today. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed "solidarity with the soldiers of the KFOR mission who were injured in
Kosovo".
"To avoid clashes between the parties and minimize the risk of escalation, KFOR peacekeepers prevented threats to the lives of Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians. Both sides must take full responsibility for what happened and prevent any further escalation, rather than hiding behind false narratives." This was stated by the commander of the KFOR mission, Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, who personally follows the evolution of the situation and expressed his solidarity with the NATO soldiers injured during the clashes and their families.
"The EU condemns in the strongest possible terms the shocking violence in Zvecan. The violent acts committed against the troops of the NATO mission in Kosovo (KFOR), the media, civilians and the police are absolutely unacceptable." This was written in a tweet by the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, about the clashes that took place in northern Kosovo. "The EU urges the Kosovo authorities and protesters to reduce tensions immediately and unconditionally. We expect the Parties to act responsibly and immediately find a political solution through Dialogue."
