The Kremlin’s press office, under Dmitry Peskov, addressed the attack at the Banjska monastery in northern Kosovo, offering cautious remarks on the evolving incident. Peskov indicated that he did not have full details, but he suggested that provocations against Serbs are not a surprise in the current climate. He also noted that there is always a degree of noise around such provocations, and he chose not to speculate further on the specifics of what happened in the monastery complex.
Initial reports described a night-time confrontation on September 24 in the north of Kosovo, where a police officer lost his life amid a tense stand-off. Regional security forces, including NATO-led KFOR troops, signaled their readiness to intervene if necessary to stabilize the situation. A group of masked gunmen, traveling in an armored vehicle, reportedly seized control of the Banjska Orthodox monastery area, prompting a Kosovo police special operation to regain control and secure the site.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the deaths of three Serbian citizens in connection with the incident and convened a session of the Security Council to assess the developments and map out a response. The escalation immediately drew attention to the fragile dynamics in Kosovo, where ethnic and political fault lines remain highly sensitive and volatile.
In Pristina, Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the ongoing talks aimed at normalizing relations with Serbia as reaching an impasse. He attributed part of the stagnation to the position taken by the European Union’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajčák, who had stressed the necessity of creating a Kosovo-based community of Serbian municipalities to safeguard the rights and safety of Serbs within Kosovo’s borders. Kurti’s comments highlighted the complexity of external mediation efforts and the competing security concerns that shape negotiations in the region.
Earlier reports indicated that the son of Serbian President Vučić had been detained in Kosovo, adding another layer of tension to the already delicate situation. The sequence of arrests, negotiations, and public statements underscored how closely Kosovo’s security events are watched by Belgrade, Pristina, and international observers alike, all seeking to prevent further escalation while preserving the fragile gains of dialogue and normalization efforts. The incident has thus become a touchstone for broader regional stability and the ongoing dialogue about how to address minority rights and security guarantees in Kosovo. — Reuters