NATO’s mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has announced that it is continuing the process of optimizing its presence, emphasizing that it will continue to carry out the mandate established by the UN Security Council.

According to the mission’s statement, the process announced on June 12, 2026, is being implemented gradually, in a coordinated and transparent manner, in cooperation with Kosovo’s institutions, the EU, the Kosovo Police and EULEX.

As part of this reorganization, KFOR will increase its presence in several areas, including North Mitrovica and other parts of northern Kosovo. The mission will also continue patrols, the establishment of observation posts and engagement with local communities.

KFOR Commander Major General Ozcan Ulutas said the mission remains fully committed to the safety of all people in Kosovo.

“As always, our daily activities will be conducted with the needs and concerns of all communities in mind,” Ulutas said.

KFOR clarified that the gradual withdrawal from its permanent presence on the Ibar Bridge is part of the broader optimization process and is linked to an assessment that the security situation has improved.

Admiral George Wikoff, commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command Naples, said that every decision regarding KFOR’s presence on the bridge is based on an assessment of the security situation.

“KFOR does not have a mandate to determine whether the bridge should be opened or not. This must be determined by the EU and the relevant institutions in Kosovo after KFOR ends its permanent presence on the bridge,” Wikoff said.

He said KFOR troops will continue to remain in the areas surrounding the bridge.

The mission emphasized that the optimization does not represent a transfer of KFOR’s mandate or responsibilities to the Kosovo Police. The Kosovo Police remains the local authority responsible for law enforcement and public safety, while KFOR retains its distinct security mandate.

KFOR warned that the process may be reviewed and reversed if future developments affect Kosovo’s long-term security and regional stability.

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The European Union Office in Kosovo has raised concerns about the institutional crisis in the country, warning that delays in constituting the Assembly could hamper reforms and make it more difficult to access European funds.

The spokesperson for the EU Office, Nikola Gaon, said the situation was becoming increasingly concerning, as Kosovo’s Assembly remains unconstituted even after the constitutional deadline expired on August 7.

According to the European Union’s position, the failure to establish institutions on time could undermine the implementation of important reforms and limit Kosovo’s ability to fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the EU.

Brussels has specifically linked this deadlock to the risk that Kosovo may not benefit sufficiently from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

The EU has called on political forces to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue. It said such an approach is essential for Kosovo to move forward toward common objectives and implement the reforms demanded by its citizens.

Gaon stressed that respect for the Constitution, the binding jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court, the rule of law and the principles of good governance makes it essential for the constitutive process to continue without further postponements, while all actors must fulfill the responsibilities that fall to them.

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The four-week process of exploratory excavations and exhumation of mortal remains at three locations confirmed as mass graves in Kalludër and Jabukë, Zubin Potok, has concluded.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons announced that the remains of six individuals were found at the third location. In total, the remains of 23 people, suspected victims of enforced disappearance, have been confirmed at the three sites examined.

During the fieldwork, exploratory excavations, exhumations, forensic documentation and a comprehensive assessment of the areas of interest to the investigation were carried out.

The operation involved teams from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Missing Persons Police Sector within the Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes, as well as other police and security units. EULEX forensic teams based at the Institute of Forensic Medicine also took part in the process.

The excavations were carried out with the support of the Government Commission on Missing Persons and the Government of Kosovo, based on an order issued by the competent court. The order was issued following a request by the prosecutor handling the case in the War Crimes Department of the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo.

Kushtrim Gara of the Government Commission on Missing Persons said that the field engagement lasted around four weeks, from the end of the month until 21.08.2026, and that the areas have now been documented within the locations confirmed as mass graves.

According to Gara, the process of assessing the locations and exhuming all the mortal remains has been completed, while the materials have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for further legal examinations and DNA analyses.

He explained that identification through DNA may take longer, while family members will be notified as soon as the institutions receive the results of the analyses. Gara stressed that every action falling within the competence of Kosovo’s institutions will be handled as a priority and professionally, and that informing the families will be one of the immediate steps after the DNA report is received.

Following the completion of the fieldwork, procedures will continue with forensic examinations and genetic identification, with the aim of determining the identities of the victims and taking further steps, including officially notifying the families.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons thanked the teams and institutions involved, as well as the families of missing persons and the “Voice of Parents” Families’ Association, for their cooperation throughout the process.

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In a public statement, the branch announced that during the meeting held on June 26, the electoral performance was analyzed both in the Municipality of Rahovec and at the level of the Republic of Kosovo.

“The Democratic League of Kosovo, Rahovec Branch, at the meeting held on 26.06.2026, among other things analyzed the election result in the June 7, 2026 elections, both in the Municipality of Rahovec and at the level of the Republic of Kosovo,” the statement said.

According to the LDK branch in Rahovec, the Presidency made a unanimous decision that, by taking responsibility for the result achieved, the party must undergo a general electoral process.

“With the unanimous vote of the present members of the Branch Presidency, it was decided that, by taking responsibility for this election result, the Democratic League of Kosovo must enter a general electoral process, from the sub-branches up to the President of the LDK,” it further states.

This branch assessed that the expectations of its structures and activists for the most recent elections had been higher, while the result achieved was considered insufficient.

“In the June 7, 2026 elections, the expectations of the Branch and activists were for a better result for the LDK. Given the weak election result in general and in particular in Rahovec, the LDK branch in Rahovec considers it necessary to hold elections at all levels,” the reaction states.

According to this political entity in Rahovec, strengthening the LDK can only be achieved through an inclusive, statutory and transparent process.

“Only through such an inclusive, statutory and transparent process would a strong LDK be guaranteed,” the statement concludes.

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