Kurti: Those accused of the Ibër-Lepenc explosion were linked to the state of Serbia

2025-12-10 22:08:33, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kurti: Those accused of the Ibër-Lepenc explosion were linked to the state

Kosovo's acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said on Wednesday that intelligence data shows that the three Serbs accused of the explosion in the vital Ibër-Lepenc water canal were closely connected to Serbian state structures.

A day earlier, Kosovo prosecutors filed indictments against Jovan Viqentijevic, Dragisa Viqentijevic, and Igor Dimovic for last year's explosion in the water canal that supplies the country's two main thermal power plants.

They are accused of detonating 20 kilograms of TNT into the canal, damaging its concrete structure, disrupting the drinking water supply and disrupting the cooling system for coal-fired power plants, which raised concerns about power outages.

All three were arrested after the attack.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Kurti repeated previous statements that "the attack came from Serbia, our northern, aggressive and hostile neighbor."

"The investigation of this case is now well underway, with evidence being obtained that the three accused Serbs were at the scene of the incident on the critical night, for which I thank the relevant institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the FBI from the United States of America for the professional work carried out in this case," Kurti said.

He insisted that the trial in this case “will prove that the defendants were part of Serbia’s illegal structures, closely linked to [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vu?i?’s friend, the terrorist Milan Radoi?i?, and other Serbian state structures that planned and ordered the terrorist attack.”

Kurti was referring to the former vice-chairman of the Serbian List, the largest Serb party in the country, Milan Radoi?i?, whom Kosovo authorities are seeking with an arrest warrant for various criminal offenses, including a deadly attack against Kosovo Police in the north of the country in 2023.

Radoicic claimed responsibility for that attack in which a Kosovar sergeant and three Serb attackers were killed.

Kosovo describes the explosion in the water canal in Varraga, Zubin Potok, as a "terrorist act" and accuses Serbia of being behind it, but Belgrade has repeatedly denied any involvement.

"Despite the fact that official Belgrade denied responsibility and was strongly engaged in disinforming the public through hybrid actions, raising various doubts about those responsible or the motives for the terrorist act, the indictment filed and the epilogue of the case will, without a shadow of a doubt, confirm the data and assessments of Kosovo institutions," Kurti said./REL