Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced late Friday that a significant explosion damaged the Ibar-Lepenac water canal in the village of Donje Varage, Zubin Potok, disrupting water supplies critical for drinking water and energy production. The incident, which occurred around 7 pm, has been labeled a "criminal-terrorist attack" by Kosovo authorities.

Kurti directly accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Milan Radoicic, a controversial figure tied to Serbian interests in Kosovo, of orchestrating the attack. He described it as part of a broader campaign to destabilize the region and incite fear among northern Kosovo’s residents.
“This deliberate act, involving a large amount of explosives, has caused severe damage to the canal at a key point. Without urgent repairs, parts of Kosovo risk losing electricity by morning,” Kurti stated at an emergency press conference.

The explosion marks the third such incident in northern Kosovo within three days. Kurti emphasized the attacks targeted Kosovo’s institutions to provoke insecurity in northern municipalities and beyond. The Kosovo government echoed these concerns, linking the incidents to the Serbian „state apparatus“ and alleged criminal networks operating in northern Kosovo under Serbia’s direction.

The National Security Council of Kosovo convened after midnight to discuss the implications of the attack. It approved measures to enhance security around critical infrastructure, including bridges, power facilities, and water systems, and intensified cooperation with international partners to prevent further incidents.

In a statement, the Council also speculated about a connection between these events and Russia’s tactics in Ukraine, drawing parallels to recent energy infrastructure attacks in that country. The Council has called for vigilance and unity, urging citizens to rely only on official sources of information.

Kosovo police and security forces have been deployed to the affected areas, and restoration efforts for the damaged canal are underway.