What is known so far about the attack on the water channel in the north of Kosovo?

In the evening of November 29, in the village of Varragë in the municipality of Zubin Potok, in the north of the country, an explosion occurred that damaged the water channel of Ibër-Lepenci.

This channel supplies water from Lake Ujman to several cities in the country, as well as to the Energy Corporation of Kosovo for cooling its thermal power plants. There were no casualties, but the canal was damaged.

Kosovo authorities accused Serbia of this "criminal and terrorist attack" and the criminal structures led by Millan Radoicic, who took responsibility for the deadly September 2023 attack in the village of Banjské in Zveçan.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that Serbia intended to "damage perhaps the most important infrastructure" of the country.

It has not been said exactly what explosive was used, but the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xelal Sveçla, stated that it is an "explosive that is not easy to find on the black market".

Serbia denied involvement in the attack on the Ibër-Lepenci canal in northern Kosovo, condemning the explosion as "unacceptable and intolerable".

She emphasized that this act "in the most direct way" endangers the basic vital needs of the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Even Lista Serbe, the main party of Serbs in Kosovo that has the support of Belgrade, condemned the damage to the water channel in the village of Varragë.

The Kosovo Police on Saturday continued with intensive investigations to shed light on the case and, as a result, a police operation involving several locations is taking place in the north of the country.

The Security Council, after meeting after midnight, approved additional measures to strengthen security around critical facilities and services, such as bridges, substations, antennas, lakes, canals, etc.

From the Ibër-Lepenci system in Ujman, in Zubin Potok, drinking water is supplied to the north of Kosovo, but also to Pristina and its surroundings. This hydrosystem also supplies water to the thermal power plants in Obiliq, which is used for cooling the thermal power plants Kosova A and Kosova B. In addition, the water from the reservoir lake of Ujman is also used for the irrigation of agricultural surfaces.

As a result of the damage to the canal, Kurti had stated that many parts of Kosovo may be without electricity on the morning of November 30, while some cities and a part of the capital, Prishtina, may be without drinking water.

However, the Government announced on Saturday that a regular supply of electricity for the country and central heating for the citizens of the capital has been ensured.

This became possible after, around 02:00 after midnight, six temporary pipes with sufficient capacity to provide water for the cooling of the 'Kosova B' power plant were installed.

Also, it was decided that the country's authorities coordinate with the Energy Corporation of Albania to provide additional energy and avoid possible reductions.

On Saturday morning, Radio Free Europe journalists from the ground reported that water could still be seen flowing from the damaged canal, even though an earthen embankment had been put in place overnight.

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, strongly condemned the attack on "critical infrastructure in Kosovo" after the damage to the water channel in the north.

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, said that "the serious incident in Zubin Potok tonight could have serious consequences for the supply of energy and water in various communities in many parts of Kosovo".

The Ambassador of Germany in Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, strongly condemned the attack that affects "communities all over Kosovo".

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, also condemned the attack and stated that he has already "offered EU assistance to the Kosovo authorities" and that "the incident must be investigated, and those responsible brought to justice".

And the special envoy of the European Union in the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Miroslav Lajcak, condemned the attack and demanded that those responsible for the "sabotage of the critical infrastructure" of Kosovo be brought to justice.

The explosion in Zubin Potok happened a few hours after the Kosovo Police announced that it had increased security measures at the country level, including in the northern part inhabited by a majority of Serbs, where several incidents with explosive devices have occurred in recent days./ REL