The Milan Vukašinović Abduction.
Milan Vukašinović, a Kosovo Serb from Leposavić, worked at the Kosovo Insurance Bureau at the Jarinje border crossing. Over several years, he became a target of political friction due to his outspoken views:
• Late 2022: He refused to resign from Kosovo institutions when many other Kosovo Serbs did.
• 2023 onward: He publicly criticized Srpska Lista (the dominant Kosovo Serb political party), spoke out about the Banjska attack of September 2023, and openly stated he felt unsafe traveling into Serbia due to political pressure. He also had an ongoing personal dispute with Milan Radoičić.
On November 1, 2025, at approximately 12:00 PM, Vukašinović was lured into an entrapment near the village of Jolakce (also cited as Jellakce), at a location called Lokvica, near the Serbian border.
• Under the pretext of buying honey, Vukašinović drove his burgundy Lada Niva (Registration: NP 025 UI) to meet a contact from Kuršumlija, Serbia. The meeting was arranged by an associate named Dakija Antić, a member of the Serbian Army. After the incident, Antić could not be located, as his phone was switched off.
• The Attack: Upon arrival, armed and masked individuals wearing unmarked green and black uniforms emerged from the woods. When Vukašinović attempted to drive away, the attackers fired on his vehicle from behind, wounding him.
• The Aftermath at the Scene: The partially destroyed Lada Niva was abandoned on the inaccessible terrain. Albanian news outlet Gazeta Imazhit later published photos of the vehicle, which matched Vukašinović’s registration and color. Forensic images showed dozens of numbered evidence markers placed around the bodywork, consistent with a vehicle processed after a shooting.
• The Border Transfer: Following the shooting, Vukašinović was transported to a hospital. Kosovo Police alleged that members of the Serbian Gendarmerie subsequently took him across the border into Serbia. The Serbian government has never publicly confirmed this transfer.
Following the abduction, law enforcement and legal representatives in both Serbia and Kosovo initiated contrasting actions:
• Reports of Espionage Arrests: Shortly after the incident, vague reports emerged that several individuals had been arrested in the Raška region of Serbia on suspicion of espionage—an operation allegedly connected to the attack on Vukašinović. It was later learned that these individuals included a local police officer and a postal employee working in Raška, though their initials were not officially released.
• The Criminal Complaint in Serbia: Vukašinović’s lawyer, Ivan Ninić, filed a formal criminal complaint in Serbia. The complaint alleged attempted murder and kidnapping, asserted direct involvement by unidentified members of the Serbian security forces, and demanded an investigation into Milan Radoičić. Serbian prosecutors have not publicly confirmed these allegations or filed formal charges.
• Arrests in Kosovo: Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police arrested a suspect named Vidosav Mitrović on suspicion of assisting in the attempted murder and kidnapping. While searches of Mitrović's properties yielded firearms, ammunition, documents, and phones, Mitrović has maintained his innocence through his legal counsel.
As of July 2026, Vukašinović remains in Serbian custody under highly concerning physical and medical conditions:
• He is partially paralyzed in one leg, confined to a wheelchair, and undergoing electrotherapy.
• His family reports that he is being denied the specialized medical attention his condition requires. They are actively petitioning to have him transferred for medical treatment in Kosovo or a third country.
New information about Milan Vukašinović
- The Serbian Official Narrative (The "Spy" Accusation)
After nearly a week of total silence following the incident, Serbian state-aligned media and the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) released their version of events:
• The Claim:Serbian authorities asserted that Vukašinović was connected to espionage.
• The Shooting:They claimed he was shot only because he "attempted to flee" when BIA and security forces tried to arrest him.
- Vukašinović's Official Testimony: "They Surrounded Me and Fired"
In early 2026, details of Vukašinović’s official statement to prosecutors in Prokuplje, Serbia, were leaked. According to his testimony:
• He reiterated that he was ambushed by masked men without warning.
• He stated that they surrounded his car and opened fire immediately as he tried to escape the trap, contradicting the state’s claim of a standard, orderly arrest attempt.
- Severe Medical Toll
Medical reports from the University Clinical Center in Niš (UKC Niš) confirmed the extreme gravity of his injuries:
• Surgical Details:Vukašinović had to have a kidney removed after a bullet passed directly through it.
• Cardiac and Spinal Damage:Doctors had to drain his chest cavity due to trauma near his cardiac tissue.Crucially, the second bullet lodged in his spine was left inside because removing it was too dangerous.This spinal injury is what has left him paralyzed in his lower body.
- Legal Deadlock and "Radio Silence"
The investigation has stalled entirely:
• Political Stalemate:Despite the criminal complaints filed by his lawyer, Ivan Ninić, there has been no official movement or willingness by Serbian prosecutors to investigate the chain of command or the involvement of specific security forces.
• Family Appeals:His family and legal team continue to warn that his health is deteriorating in custody.Because his defense team believes he will not receive objective legal or medical treatment under the current political climate in Serbia, they are continuing to pressure international bodies to intervene.
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