In northern Kosovo, in the center of the town of Mitrovica, Kosovo Serbs set up new roadblocks, a day after Serbia put its troops on high alert near the border.

This is reported in AP News.

New barricades made from heavy-duty trucks were erected overnight in Mitrovica, a town in northern Kosovo divided between Kosovo Serbs and ethnic Albanians, who make up the majority in Kosovo as a whole.

It was the first time since the beginning of the last crisis that Serbs blocked the streets in one of the main cities.

So far, barricades have been installed on the roads leading to the Kosovo-Serbia border.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had ordered the army to be put on the highest alert to "protect the people (in Kosovo) and preserve Serbia."

He stated that Pristina was preparing "to attack" the Kosovo Serbs in the north of the country and to remove by force several roadblocks that the Serbs began to set up 18 days ago as a sign of protest against the arrest of an ex-policeman from the Serbian community.

The Kosovo authorities have introduced special forces into the region populated by Serbs.

Belgrade, in its turn, brought the army into combat readiness. 

Read also:

• Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and the failures of the Russians at Bakhmut: the main news of the night of December 27

• Serbia has put its troops on high alert

• Ukrainians are asked to refrain from traveling to Serbia and Kosovo

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