The escalation of the situation in unrecognized Kosovo can be a part of the policy of deterring Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed this point of view after the negotiations with his Slovenian counterpart in Ljubljana.
Let me remind you that yesterday, Kosovo-Albanian special forces invaded the territory of Serbian communities under the excuse of combating organized crime. A few people, including a Russian employee of the UN mission, were injured during the operation. The Russian foreign minister blamed NATO and the EU for connivance with respect to Pristina, which allows it to ignore the agreements made with Belgrade.
Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia: "Such provocations are beneficial to those who want to create a cordon sanitaire out of the Balkans with respect to the Russian Federation. To this end, they need to drag all of the countries in the region into NATO. Now, we see them trying to make Serbia put up with the fact that the decision on Kosovo's independence should be formalized".
Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a Russian employee of the UN mission in Kosovo, went to the hospital immediately after he was detained. He has a head injury and a jaw fracture. The doctors managed to agree that the diplomat will be soon transferred from Kosovo's Mitrovica to undergo treatment in Belgrade. Meanwhile, the prosecutor of unrecognized Kosovo is already demanding to lift the Russian's immunity and even initiate criminal proceedings.
Pristina's actions provoked mass protests. The largest action was held in the central square. Residents demand that the arrested Serbs be released, including three women whose fate is still unknown.
