Several Serbian-language media outlets published articles yesterday (November 21) claiming that Prime Minister Albin Kurti, after breaking the Brussels agreement, "sent 40 police vehicles to the north to provoke Serbs."
The article also claims that the Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj, and the Minister of Interior, Xhelal Sveçla, stayed at the "Belvedere" base south of Mitrovica.
The news about Sveçla and Mehaj's stay at Belvedere has been denied by the Chief of Staff of the Presidency and by Minister Sveçla himself.
Also, in a response to the Serbian-language portal Kossev, Kosovo police deny sending 40 vehicles to the north.
Links to articles published in Serbian media:
https://www.republika.rs/vesti/politika/396816/kuri-poslao-policiju-na-sever-kosova
https://www.alo.rs/vesti/kim/694878/kurti-poslao-40-vozila-policije-na-sever/amp
Parts of the article published in Serbian media:
Just a few hours after blocking any agreement with Belgrade in Brussels, Albin Kurti made a move that apparently reveals his true intentions towards the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
Namely, as Novosti unofficially learns, a kilometer-long column of about 40 vehicles of the so-called Kosovo Police was spotted from the direction of Bajgora, descending to Srbovac and moving towards Leposavic.
The fact that the authorities in Pristina intend to continue to use weapons and exercise violence against Serbs is also evidenced by the fact that the Ministers of Police and Defense, Xhelal Sveçla and Armend Mehaj, have arrived at the Belvedere base in southern Mitrovica.
The Serbian media outlet "Novosti" made the above-mentioned claim, citing, as they say, unofficial sources, which was in fact denied by the presidency's cabinet and Minister Svečla himself.
The accusations about Sveçla's presence were initially denied by the chief of staff of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Blerim Vela, who published a photo of himself on his Twitter account together with Sveçla, Glauk Konjufca and the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.
“Serbia's pro-government media is falsely reporting that Minister Svečla is in Belvedere. Do not fall for their disinformation and propaganda. #Kosovo institutions are committed to maintaining a peaceful and safe environment for all.” (here)
Vela accused the pro-regime Serbian media of disinformation and said - Do not fall for their disinformation and propaganda.
Sveçla spoke immediately after information appeared in some media outlets that a convoy of forty vehicles of special units of the Kosovo Police was moving north, but also that Sveçla, together with Kosovo Defense Minister Armenda Mehaj, were at the "Belvedere" camp south of Mitrovica.
"Recently, the types and methods of propaganda and disinformation by Serbia's supporters and employees have increased and expanded. Of course, their goal is to worry you and increase your insecurity. Every hour, information is supposedly being distributed, associating events from the distant and painful past." (here)
At the same time, he accused “supporters and employees in Serbia” of spreading disinformation, which, according to him, is intended to disturb them and increase uncertainty.
Kosovo Police later denied the media allegations in a response to KoSSev.
"The Kosovo Police denies the inaccurate texts published in several media/portals, mainly Serbian, such as in the Novosti newspaper, which present an unrealistic situation, that the Kosovo Police has sent a convoy of forty (40) police vehicles north towards Jarinje," they state in their response to KoSSev. (here)
Analyze:
Several Serbian-language media outlets have published "Novosti"'s claim that 40 Kosovo Police vehicles were sent north on Kurti's orders and that Ministers Sveçla and Mehaj were staying at the "belvederë" camp south of Mitrovica.
The claims of the Serbian media have been denied by the Chief of Staff of the Kosovo Presidency, Blerim Vela, the Minister of Interior himself, Xhela Sveçla, and the Kosovo police.
Hibrid.info, based on its work methodology, assesses that these claims are unfounded and classified as "misinformation".
Reasoning:
A “Disinformation” rating is given to media reporting that contains a “mix” of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful content. This rating will also address reports that have incorrect attributions or headlines that do not reflect the text in terms of information accuracy.