Honorable media representatives,
Dear citizens,
Tonight, we had to gather at this late hour here at the Office of the Prime Minister, to inform the public about the latest severe, criminal, terrorist, and malicious attacks that keep coming at us, perpetrated we believe by our aggressive and hostile northern neighbor.
In just the past few days, we witnessed an attack with hand grenades on the police station in Zvečan on November 26. Last night, an explosive device was thrown near the municipal building in Zvečan. And tonight, the gravest act occurred around 7:00 PM near the village of Vragë in Zubin Potok, where explosive devices damaged the main channel of the Ibër Lepenc system. This channel supplies water to several cities in Kosova, as well as to KEC-Kosovo Energy Corporation, for cooling thermal power plants and generating electricity.
A section of the Ibër Lepenc channel has been damaged by a detonated explosion. Our police are already on-site, actively addressing the situation. The supply of drinking water has been temporarily interrupted, as has been announced by RWC-Regional Water Company of Mitrovica. This is a criminal and terrorist attack aimed at damaging our critical infrastructure, arguably the most essential we have. It is undoubtedly an attempt to disrupt the supply of electricity and water in our country.
We urge citizens to remain calm and to follow updates and instructions from the institutions of the Republic of Kosova. State authorities are working diligently to manage the situation, repair the damage, and fully investigate the incident.
The attack was carried out by professionals, marking yet another criminal and terrorist attack. We strongly believe this was orchestrated by groups directed and coordinated by Serbia, which has both the interest and the capability to execute such attacks. In this specific case, a significant quantity of explosives was used at a key junction where repairs are challenging. If the damage is not repaired, parts of Kosova risk losing electricity by the morning. Multiple cities, and a part of Pristina, are also at risk of losing their supply of drinking water.
We are firmly convinced that the responsibility for this attack lies with official Belgrade and its criminal structures, led by Milan Radoičić. Milan Radoičić, who is supported by Serbian institutions and the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, directs paramilitary and criminal elements from Serbia. Despite being detained, Radoičić was released and continues to organize such operations, posing a threat to our republic and our people.
This marks the third explosion in three days targeting our national institutions, with the intent to instill fear and insecurity, particularly among the residents of the four northern municipalities, and to escalate tensions across the country.
Such attempts will ultimately fail because the constitutional order in our country, the rule of law, public order, and the resilience of our people and republic cannot and will not be overcome.
Situations like this are often exploited for misinformation and disinformation campaigns. Therefore, we urge you to carefully verify the news you consume and rely only on official updates from state institutions.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our international partners, including the United States of America and the European Union, for their continued support for our country.
Immediately following this press conference, I will meet with the KFOR Commander, Major General Barduani, and convene an extraordinary session of the Security Council of the Republic of Kosova.
Finally, I call on all of our citizens to reject information from certain media portals, which, to varying degrees, have unfortunately become part of a hybrid war against the Republic of Kosova, the people of Kosova, and the Albanian nation as a whole. It is essential that our citizens refuse to align with the rhetoric of some commentators and opposition figures who, whether directly or indirectly, express satisfaction over tonight’s events.
Therefore, we must defend our country, and this is done by loving our country, by rejecting disinformation and misinterpretation of what happened tonight and that endanger our nation.
Let us stand together with our state institutions, our police, and our official agencies, which will keep us informed in real time.
These criminals and terrorists will never defeat us because the strength of our just laws in the democratic Republic of Kosovo will prevail once again.
Thank you.
Last modified: November 30, 2024