Partially recognized Kosovo announced the closure of border crossings with Serbia and the postponement of municipal elections.

In response to Pristina’s latest actions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić plans to send a request to the NATO mission to introduce the military and police into the territory of the region.

The Kosovo Police announced that after the closure of the border crossing in Yarinja, the border crossing in Brnjak will also stop its operation.

Law enforcement officers resorted to such actions after the Serbian population of northern Kosovo blocked traffic at checkpoints in response to the detention of former policeman Dejan Pantych, whom the Kosovo authorities accuse of organizing a terrorist attack.

It is noted that considering that two checkpoints in the north of the country are currently closed to traffic due to barricades constructed by the local Serbs, citizens are urged to use other checkpoints for border crossing.

It is also reported that unknown persons opened fire on police officers.

In addition, President Vjosa Osmani announced that municipal elections in northern Kosovo will be postponed to April 23, 2023.

She assured that there is a full consensus between the political parties regarding the postponement of the election date and that the assessment of the competent institutions regarding the security situation in the region was considered when making this decision.

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that he plans to send a request to the commander of NATO forces in Kosovo regarding the deployment of Serbian police and military personnel in the territory controlled by Pristina.

“UN Security Council Resolution 1244 confirmed that an agreed number of Serbian military and police personnel would be allowed to return. So far, there have been no negotiations with KFOR regarding the return of Serbian personnel,” he noted.

On December 9, it was reported that the government of the partially recognized Kosovo deployed over 200 special forces personnel to the municipality of North Mitrovica, which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Serbs. Belgrade claimed that it might send its own law enforcement officers to the region in response.

On December 10, Kosovo Serbs and the country’s police exchanged gunfire after tensions flared in the volatile northern part of Kosovo.