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It took two days for Kosovo Police to issue a statement on a reported serious incident that allegedly occurred on the Kosovo side near the Jarinje crossing, in which a Kosovo Serb, M.V., was shot and abducted on Saturday afternoon. The statement was only released after Serbian lawyer Ivan Ninić publicly raised questions about whether Milan Vukašinović had been “literally executed” and whether doctors in the Clinical Center in Niš were fighting to save his life.
In their statement, Kosovo Police said they had received information that in the Leposavic area, a person with the initials M.V., a Kosovo Serb, was reportedly wounded and kidnapped on Kosovo territory by what they described as members of the Serbian Gendarmerie.
They added that the alleged crime scene is believed to be “within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, at a location known as ‘zero point (0),’ near Leposavic, between Kosovo and Serbia.”
Kosovo Police also noted that KFOR, which is responsible for this zone, had been informed and that cooperation with them was ongoing.
Police further stated that the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Serious Crimes had taken over the case and interviewed witnesses, who allegedly confirmed that several masked individuals had crossed into Kosovo territory, wounded the victim, and abducted him.
According to these witnesses, the abducted man was then taken into Serbian territory, where he was reportedly transported to Niš by ambulance.
Police said the case had been opened in coordination with relevant institutions and judicial authorities.
Ninić: “Has Another Mother Been Devastated?”
The police statement followed a post by lawyer Ivan Ninić on Twitter, in which he revealed the victim’s full name – Milan Vukašinović. The initials provided by the police match this name.
“Since the authorities are silent, I need to ask a few questions to A. Vučić, B. Gašić, and the Director of Military Intelligence Đuro Jovanić:
1. Was MILAN VUKAŠINOVIĆ (1986) literally shot in the village of Jelakce/Leposavic on Saturday around 4 PM, and is he now fighting for his life at the Clinical Center in Niš?
2. Was Milan’s left kidney and pericardium removed?
3. Is it true there is still a bullet lodged in his spine, with uncertain outcomes?
4. Will Milan be left disabled, and how much blood did he lose during transport from Prokuplje to Niš?
5. Was he shot from behind, and why?
6. Were Serbian Army personnel wearing unmarked camouflage uniforms?
7. Did ‘someone else’ take part in the hunt for Milan besides the army?
8. Were three SUVs involved, and did they have no license plates?
9. Was an on-site investigation conducted, and if so, by whom and when?
10. Where is Milan’s Lada Niva?
Did you think this would be covered up? Do you think no one will ever be held accountable?”
When asked for further clarification about what happened, Ninić told KoSSev earlier today that he would not provide more details for now, as he is still waiting for authorization from the family. However, he stated that Vukašinović had reportedly gone to the administrative line to pick up a friend and bring him to a family celebration but never returned.
Kelani Offers No Additions: “Everything We Have Is in the Statement”
Kosovo Police spokesperson Baki Kelani, in a follow-up conversation with KoSSev, said he had nothing to add beyond the written statement. When asked who provided the information to the police, he responded simply: “witnesses.”
When asked why the police remained silent for two days on such a serious incident—especially considering their swift reaction to even minor incidents in the north—Kelani said the delay was due to procedural processes, including contacting KFOR and verifying the exact location of the incident.
Asked why they only reacted after journalists started investigating and after Ninić had already alerted the public, Kelani declined to comment on “individuals outside Kosovo,” saying it was not his job.
KoSSev has meanwhile sent questions to Serbia’s Ministry of Interior regarding this incident and alleged claims of involvement by the Serbian Gendarmerie.
Who Is Milan Vukašinović?
Vukašinović’s name has previously been mentioned on several occasions, especially in pro-government Serbian media, where he has been portrayed as someone working “against Serbian interests.”
Last year, Kosovo Online, citing the Serbian tabloid Alo, described Vukašinović—nicknamed “Duduk”—as a “close associate” of Radoica Radomirović, then Deputy Minister for Communities in the Kosovo government. Radomirović was depicted as “Kurti’s agent among the Serbs.”
Vukašinović has been accused in tabloids of spying on Serbs for Kosovo structures.
In April 2024, Kosovo Police reported discovering an unexploded device under Vukašinović’s car in Leposavic. He suspected it was an act of intimidation and retaliation connected to his employment in Kosovo institutions.
Serbian tabloid Informer claimed at the time that Vukašinović had blamed individuals close to Srpska Lista for placing the explosive. He was also reported to have later met with Rahim Pacolli from Kosovo’s insurance bureau and to have been contacted by Kosovo’s Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla.
In late November 2022, media also reported that Vukašinović had allegedly hit a pedestrian with his car on purpose, with video footage circulating online.
Vukašinović was also reportedly arrested in 2020 at Jarinje by Serbian police, allegedly due to his employment by a Kosovo company, which Serbia reportedly viewed as “acceptance of Kosovo statehood.”
“The North Has Never Been More Secure”
The alleged incident took place in an area jointly controlled by KFOR and Kosovo Police, with the involvement of intelligence structures. For years, Kosovo officials, including the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, have boasted of having shut down all illegal crossings, established full territorial sovereignty, and that the north is now “safer than ever.”
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