Serbia/kosovo border clashes

[MilEME09]

Developing situation but reports of gunfire and air raid sirens on the Serbian-kosovo border. Road blocks have been set up by Serbia, and atleast one Serbian politician says they need "denazification" of kosovo....this could get ugly, and it smells like Kremlin influence

https://twitter.com/x/status/1553792202974846976

https://twitter.com/x/status/1553787111647625216

 

[brihard]

Is there still any international military presence in Kosovo?

 

[MilEME09]

Is there still any international military presence in Kosovo?

3k NATO personal of KFOR are still there

Serbia's president will address the media at 3pm ET

 

[brihard]

3k NATO personal of KFOR are still there

Serbia's president will address the media at 3pm ET

Nothing good is announced at 2100L on a Sunday…

 

[brihard]

Looking more like this may be a flash in the pan. Fingers crossed.

 

[RangerRay]

I can’t find anything on BBC…

 

[Retired AF Guy]

SOFREP has an update including number of US forces in KFOR and a press release from KFOR

 

[Retired AF Guy]

It appears that the disturbances are related to Kosovo requiring Serbians to get new vehicle licenses issued by Pristina authorities. More here:

Kosovo closes two border crossings with Serbia amid rising tensions ​

Kosovo government postpones its plan for volatile north after tensions heightened

 

[brihard]

That KFOR press release sounds like a deeply-sighed “guys, cut the shit”.

 

[MilEME09]

That KFOR press release sounds like a deeply-sighed “guys, cut the shit”.

Flip side of that coin is "f*ck around and find out"

 

[OldSolduer]

Iirc Russia sided with Serbia in WW1. History doesn’t repeat itself but it sometimes rhymes…

 

[PuckChaser]

Any significant resources required by KFOR/NATO will draw attention and support away from Ukraine. Russia has likely told it's Serbian ally it's a good time to make a move which would likely relieve pressure from the Ukrainian front. If true, Russia is deliberately destabilizing Eastern Europe and it might be time to realize economic sanctions alone won't work.

Russia–Serbia relations - Wikipedia

 

[Jarnhamar]

We should send the 200 person QRF Trudeau promised to have 5 years ago

 

[PuckChaser]

We should send the 200 person QRF Trudeau promised to have 5 years ago

SJS and CJOC doing a KFOR QRF estimate, circa 2022 colourized.

 

[Kilted]

Iirc Russia sided with Serbia in WW1. History doesn’t repeat itself but it sometimes rhymes…

And by extension sided with us, well that time around at least. It would be tragic to see another Eastern European country completely drawn into the Russian camp. It is notable that they are bordered by NATO on many sides.

 

[Jarnhamar]

And by extension sided with us, well that time around at least. It would be tragic to see another Eastern European country completely drawn into the Russian camp. It is notable that they are bordered by NATO on many sides.

I believe it was the Serbians who started the 1992 Bosnian war and genocide.

 

[MilEME09]

Any significant resources required by KFOR/NATO will draw attention and support away from Ukraine. Russia has likely told it's Serbian ally it's a good time to make a move which would likely relieve pressure from the Ukrainian front. If true, Russia is deliberately destabilizing Eastern Europe and it might be time to realize economic sanctions alone won't work.

Russia–Serbia relations - Wikipedia

Not really, Italy and the US have an Airborne brigade each just across the Adriatic, plus a lot of air assets, if given the order they would be bombing Serbia within two hours.

 

[McG]

Does not seem particularly ominous in the BBC coverage.

Kosovo postpones new car number plate rules amid tensions

Ethnic Serbs parked trucks and tankers at border crossings in the north in protest at the new rules.

www.bbc.com

 

[PuckChaser]

Not really, Italy and the US have an Airborne brigade each just across the Adriatic, plus a lot of air assets, if given the order they would be bombing Serbia within two hours.

Which sounds great until Russia declares that any attack on Serbia is an attack on Russia. They've played chicken with us before, and we've lost.

 

[MilEME09]

Which sounds great until Russia declares that any attack on Serbia is an attack on Russia. They've played chicken with us before, and we've lost.

Which is dangerous because KFOR has a UNSC mandate to protect the security of kosovo