NATO-led troops on the move in northern Kosovo
Kosovo's NATO-led peacekeepers moved troops through the Serb-dominated north on 13 December, an AFP correspondent reported, amid high tensions with Serbia on the eve of a vote to create a Kosovo army.
A spokesman for the international KFOR forces, which guarantees the security of the former Serbian province, confirmed the deployment and told AFP it was part of 'normal exercises all around Kosovo'.
'We have a couple of convoys moving around. One of them is going today to the north,' said KFOR spokesman Vincenzo Grasso, adding that there was no reason for alarm.
About 50 KFOR vehicles moved through the city of Mitrovica and headed north in the direction of Leposavic, a mostly Serb municipality, an AFP correspondent said.
The top local official in Leposavic municipality confirmed troops were in the village of Dren on the morning of 13 December.
The movement comes as Kosovo lawmakers prepare to vote 14 December to transform a local crisis response force into a full-fledged army.
The vote has outraged Belgrade, which refuses to accept the independence Kosovo declared in 2008, a decade after a brutal guerrilla war.
KFOR, which has more than 4,000 troops, has been deployed in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-99 war between Serb forces and Kosovo Albanian separatists.
More from Defence Notes
-
![US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry]()
US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry
The 2025 NSS has emphasised investment in the US nuclear and air defence inventory and national industry, but it leaves multiple unanswered questions on how the White House will implement this approach.
-
![Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners]()
Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
-
![NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems]()
NATO experiments with solutions to integrate networks, AI and uncrewed systems
During the latest edition of the NATO DiBaX, the alliance tested multiple capabilities to inform requirements for future efforts.
-
![Leonardo unveils plans for Michelangelo air defence dome]()
Leonardo unveils plans for Michelangelo air defence dome
The new multi-layered defence system will harness AI to neutralise airborne threats and protect Europe from Russian aggression.
