Nearly 800 ethnically motivated attacks on Serbs in Kosovo in five and a half years, 78 this year alone

Yesterday's attack by members of the Kosovo Police on Nenad Raskovic from the village of Dren, who was transferred to Belgrade for treatment due to the severity of his injuries, was the 78th ethnically motivated attack on Serbs in Kosovo since the beginning of this year. Over the past five and a half years, as many as 796 such attacks have been recorded.

According to records kept by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, incidents over the years have included attacks on private property and Orthodox religious sites, shootings and physical assaults, detentions, checks and entry bans, inspection orders shutting down Serbian institutions, the removal and replacement of signs in Serbian with new signs in Albanian, graffiti ("KLA") written on Serbian community institutions, and the removal of Serbian symbols.

A total of 128 incidents were recorded in 2021. The number increased to 150 the following year, while as many as 179 attacks were recorded in 2023.

A total of 124 ethnically motivated incidents were recorded in 2024, while 137 incidents were registered last year.

These incidents vary in nature and include attacks on Serbs and their property, arrests and detentions, incidents involving members of the Kosovo Police, attacks on religious sites, and other events classified by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija as ethnically motivated.

The latest in the series of attacks occurred last night, when Nenad Raskovic from Dren was beaten. Serb List Vice President Igor Simic said today that Raskovic was not the only person to have been brutally attacked, stating that seven other people had been beaten over the past 15 days but had refused to report the incidents out of fear.

Just one day before the attack on Raskovic, KLA and Albanian flags were hung on the fence surrounding the grounds of Orthodox churches in Lipljan.

A little over a month ago, in late June, workers from the Ibar-Lepenac company, in the presence of the Kosovo Police, demolished the Jezero motel and beach bar at Gazivode, having previously demolished several weekend homes owned by Serbs.

Several days earlier, Kosovo Police officers detained five Serbs in Zubin Potok, two of whom remain in detention on suspicion of the criminal offense of "war crimes."

During the Vidovdan commemorations, the Kosovo Police detained 37 people. Following their detention, some worshippers were subjected to physical mistreatment, humiliation, and ethnically motivated insults by the Kosovo Police.

On June 23, police detained artist Stefan Stojanovic, who had attempted to paint a mural of Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije in North Mitrovica, for which he had obtained permission from the municipality.

Among other incidents, the Office also records an attack on Vojin Milojevic in Leposavic, whom police forced into a vehicle and beat and mistreated because his T-shirt bore the inscription "With faith in God, Kosovo is Serbia."

In early March, in Suvo Grlo near Srbica, the Kosovo Police blocked the village, broke down the doors of family homes, and arrested five Serbs—Nebojsa T., Sinisa T., Predrag T., Goran T., and Ratko K.—over alleged war crimes.

Numerous attacks were also recorded last year. Among other incidents, seven Serbs were detained during a Kosovo Police operation in Zubin Potok and Zvecan in October, with windows of Serbian homes smashed and the houses searched and ransacked during the arrests. At the beginning of the same month, the "I Love K. Mitrovica" sign was removed in the presence of the police.

During 2025, one of the two chapels at the Orthodox cemetery in Pristina was desecrated, with window and door glass smashed. Police also detained two 15-year-old Serbian boys from Zubin Potok, D.B. and L.Dj., who were traveling on a bus, because of inscriptions on their T-shirts. Following questioning, they were issued misdemeanor fines.

A year ago, an explosive device was thrown at the home of Milos Perovic, who was then the Serb List's candidate for mayor of Zubin Potok, causing a fire.

There were detentions during last year's Vidovdan commemorations as well. In Gracanica and at Gazimestan, 17 Serbs were detained for carrying Serbian flags, displaying sports club emblems, or wearing T-shirts featuring historical motifs.

In May last year, the Kosovo Police entered the Sports Hall in North Mitrovica during a training session and ordered everyone to leave the building.

Some of the attacks in 2024

April 13, 2024 – Bube near Zubin Potok. ROSU members beat Vladan Stevanovic and threatened him with a handgun.

April 14, 2024 – Brnjak crossing. Srecko Sofronijevic, who had been shot and wounded by ROSU in 2021, was arrested.

February 15, 2024 – North Kosovska Mitrovica. The Kosovo Police detained six young Serbian men using excessive force.

Some of the attacks in 2023

January 6, 2023 – Gotovusa near Strpce. An Albanian man who was a member of the Kosovo Security Force fired from a car at Stefan Stojanovic, 11, and Milos Stojanovic, 21, as they were carrying a Christmas Eve oak branch. Both sustained gunshot wounds, one to the hand and the other to the shoulder.

January 7, 2023 – Near Bistrica Bridge. ROSU members fired at a car carrying two Serbs. Miljan D. was struck by a bullet.

March 8, 2023 – Josanica near Leposavic. ROSU members brutally beat Djordje M., 24, and Lazar Dj., 23.

April 9, 2023 – Bistrica Bridge, Zvecan. The Kosovo Police shot Milan Jovanovic, 39, causing gunshot wounds above his collarbone.

May 26–29, 2023 – Zubin Potok, Zvecan, Leposavic. The Kosovo Police and ROSU forcibly entered municipal buildings, using tear gas and stun grenades. More than 10 Serbs were injured on May 26. On May 29, 52 Serbs were injured in Zvecan, three of them seriously. Dragisa Galjak was shot twice from behind, while Dragisa Milovic and Caslav Sofronijevic sustained serious injuries.

June 13, 2023 – North Mitrovica. ROSU entered the area in armored vehicles and heavily armed. They violently arrested and beat athlete Milun Milenkovic.

Some of the attacks in 2022

January 6, 2022 – Christmas Eve, Strpce. Heavily armed ROSU members entered and searched four Serbian homes.

January 7, 2022 – Gracanica. Around 20 armed ROSU special police officers entered the municipal building and searched official premises.

January 16, 2022 – Srbica. Milan Kovacevic, a young man from the village of Banje near Srbica, was physically attacked by a local Albanian and struck in the head. His forest had previously been illegally logged and his hut set on fire.

March 16, 2022 – Strpce. Armed ROSU members raided several locations, searched Serbian homes, and blocked the work of the Provisional Authority, one day before the anniversary of the March Pogrom.

September 2022 – Northern Kosovo. ROSU members beat three young Serbian men near Brnjak. Multiple raids and incidents involving damage to vehicles were recorded at the administrative crossings.

Some of the attacks in 2021

October 13, 2021 – Zvecan / Rudare / North Mitrovica. ROSU carried out a large-scale operation involving armored vehicles, tear gas, and stun grenades. Srecko Sofronijevic was seriously wounded by a bullet to the back, while dozens of Serbs were injured.

February 14, 2021 – Laplje Selo. Serb Boban Ristic was shot.

February 15, 2021 – Kosovska Mitrovica. An Albanian assailant stabbed a young Serbian man, M.M.

May–August 2021 – Incidents at multiple locations. Miroslav Lukic from Velika Hoca was beaten and suffered a broken nose. Ranko Bacic, 67, from Dolac near Klina sustained serious bodily injuries. Nikola Peric, 23, from Zebince was brutally beaten, as was D.M., 20, in Bosnjacka Mahala. Twelve-year-old Mihajlo S. was beaten in the center of Kosovska Kamenica and hospitalized.