Kosovar Inside Minister Xhelal Svecla has blamed “unlawful Serbian teams” allegedly looking for to “disrupt the work of the Kosovo authorities” for an August 6 assault on border police, whereas additionally claiming that the arrest of a Russian journalist making an attempt to cross into the nation from Serbia was an indication that Russia was supporting alleged Serbian efforts to destabilize Kosovo.

Authorities in Kosovo stated on August 6 {that a} police unit got here beneath fireplace earlier that day close to the nation’s border with Serbia, the place tensions have been excessive between the 2 neighboring Western Balkan nations.

Svecla claimed on August 6 that the unnamed teams stated to be behind the incident had the safety and public assist of unidentified Serbian constructions.

Later that day, Svecla emphasised that Russian journalist Daria Aslamova’s tried entry and arrest the identical day coincided with latest unrest within the nation’s north and with the taking pictures incident.

Svecla introduced on Fb on August 7 that Aslamova, a correspondent with the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, had been declared an “undesirable individual within the Republic of Kosovo.”

Kosovar authorities have launched an investigation into the August 6 taking pictures incident, by which they are saying 10 photographs have been fired at a border-surveillance unit trying to launch a patrol boat in Lake Uyman close to the city of Zubin Potok.

Municipalities in northern Kosovo — together with Zubin Potok, northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, and Leposaviq — are inhabited by an ethnic-Serbian majority within the primarily ethnic-Albanian nation.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have risen just lately after Kosovo stated it might require Serbs dwelling within the north of the nation and utilizing Serbian automotive license plates to use for plates issued by Kosovar authorities.

Ethnic-Serbian protesters blocked border crossings within the area in protest on the necessities.

Kosovar authorities agreed to delay implementation of the necessities for 30 days after the border barricades have been eliminated.

Svecla stated on Fb on August 6 that the Russian journalist who was arrested that day was detained after allegedly making an attempt to cross the border into Kosovo from Serbia.

Svecla posted footage of the journalist, whom he recognized as Daria Aslamova, that appeared to indicate her with Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in addition to in camouflage and posing with unidentified troopers.

Svecla accused Aslamova of working for Russian intelligence and of solely posing as a journalist, and stated safety authorities have been making an attempt to find out “her intentions.” The Kosovar inside minister additionally stated her try to enter Kosovo indicated that “Russia has joined Serbia’s propaganda with the goal of destabilizing our nation.”

Svecla additionally accused Aslamova of collaborating in Russia’s warfare in opposition to Ukraine by “propagandizing concerning the Russian invasion” launched by Moscow in February.

In a separate Fb put up on August 7, Svecla introduced that he had declared Aslamova to be an “undesirable individual” in Kosovo, saying that “anybody who, with sure functions or directives, violates or makes an attempt to destabilize the nation, will face with out query the power of the legislation within the Republic of Kosovo.”

As an “undesirable individual,” Aslamova shall be barred from getting into Kosovo for 5 years.

Aslamova, in response to Svecla on August 6, was barred from getting into “many international locations” for her actions. RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service has reported that she was denied entry to Moldova in 2017 whereas working for Komsomolskaya Pravda as a result of she couldn’t justify the explanation for her go to.

Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who is taken into account to be pro-Russia, criticized the Moldovan safety providers for denying Aslamova entry and stated she had deliberate to interview him.

Komsomolskaya Pravda stated with out addressing Svecla’s accusations that she had been launched and was now in Serbia. Russia has not responded to Svecla’s declare about aiming to destabilize Kosovo.

Russia is a major ally of Serbia and doesn’t acknowledge Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Belgrade.

Kosovo has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is a possible candidate for accession to the European Union.

About 50,000 ethnic-Serbs stay within the north of Kosovo, however they don’t acknowledge the nation’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, and so they preserve shut ties to Belgrade.

Western-backed Kosovo is acknowledged by greater than 100 international locations, though not by Serbia, Russia, China, and others.

With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service