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The NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has said that it has not observed any entry of drones from abroad into Kosovo's airspace that could affect the security of the entire country.
KFOR said this in a response to Radio Free Europe on Friday, following claims by Kosovo authorities that Kosovo's airspace has been violated by drones suspected of being introduced from northern neighbor Serbia recently.
On Friday morning, the Director General of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, told the media that "recently we have had drone flights that we suspect are coming from the territory of Serbia in the northern part of Kosovo. The police are in contact with KFOR, we are monitoring and we will see what can be done."
Kosovo's lower airspace is managed by the Kosovo Civil Aviation Authority, but the upper airspace above 6,200 meters is under the control of Hungary, namely HungaroControl. This is because Kosovo has not yet achieved the capacity to manage upper airspace.
In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, but also with current laws in Kosovo, the KFOR commander has been responsible for the security of Kosovo's airspace since 1999.
The KFOR Public Relations Office told REL that this mission regularly monitors Kosovo's airspace, through all the means and capacities at its disposal.
"It is essential that any activity in the airspace, especially near the Administrative Boundary Line, is adequately coordinated with KFOR to prevent tensions and ensure security. KFOR remains in close contact with Kosovo security organizations and the Serbian Armed Forces," the response states.
Hoxha said earlier that the introduction of foreign drones into Kosovo's airspace "is dangerous for the border area, yes, but not for our citizens, we are protecting them as well."
He echoed the statements of the acting Minister of Interior, Xhelal Sveçla, who two days ago spoke to the media outlet Koha about suspicions that drones from Serbia have entered Kosovo's airspace.
Neither Hoxha nor Sveçla had provided further details or evidence for these allegations. Serbia has not yet commented on the allegations of the Kosovo authorities.
REL has addressed the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, but has not yet received a response. Kosovo authorities have repeatedly accused Serbia of posing a threat to its security, especially after the September 2023 attack, when a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police, killing a sergeant.
Serbia denies the accusations. This week, Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, said during a visit to the United States that Belgrade poses a constant threat to Pristina.
Asked in an interview with Fox News whether Kosovo and Serbia were on the brink of conflict in June, Osmani said that Kosovo's northern neighbor "likes to cause trouble from time to time."
She emphasized that President Donald Trump's administration has done a good job in preventing the escalation of the situation between Kosovo and Serbia.
In recent months, President Trump has repeatedly stated that he has prevented an escalation between Kosovo and Serbia. /REL
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