Russian Embassy in Serbia demands probe into Kosovo incident with Russian diplomat

BELGRADE, May 28. /TASS/: The Russian Embassy to Serbia demands a probe into the incident with a Russian diplomat in Kosovo and punishment for all guilty persons, Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin wrote on the embassy’s Facebook page on Tuesday.

"We will demand from the international presence controlling the situation in the region an investigation into that incident and prosecution of those responsible," the ambassador said.

He called "an attack of the so-called Kosovo Albanian police officers on Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, an employee of the UN having diplomatic immunity, a flagrant provocation and a new show of Pristina’s disrespect for rules of international law and civilized communication."

He said the Russian national had been physically assaulted during the arrest. "He received serious bodily injuries and is currently in hospital in Serbian-populated North Mitrovica and is monitored by medics. Russian diplomats are with him," the ambassador said.

The Russian Embassy to Serbia and the office in Pristina made "active efforts" for the release of Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, Chepurin said.

On Tuesday morning, special forces of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo encroached into the northern municipalities, and the subsequent gunfire resulted in two Serbs receiving light injuries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told MPs that the Kosovar police special forces had put 23 people in custody, including Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchenkov, an employee of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Vucic added that the Russian had been physically assaulted during the arrest. Later, the UN mission in Kosovo said the Russian national had been released. Currently he is in intensive care in Kosovska Mitrovica diagnosed with head and facial injuries.