The Hague verdict as Serbia’s new “weapon”: experts warn of hybrid warfare

Developments in the Western Balkans are returning to the center of world diplomacy. From New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Serbia as involved in potentially problematic and explosive issues.

The statement comes at a fragile time, as official Belgrade’s actions raise high security concerns, particularly regarding Kosovo. Just three years ago, the armed group led by Milan Radoičić carried out the terrorist attack in Banjska, and a year later the explosion at the Ibër-Lepenc canal refocused attention on threats to Kosovo’s critical infrastructure, keeping the national security alarm on.

But against this tense backdrop, a new development from The Hague is being seen as a new political weapon for Serbia. The September 16 verdict of the Specialist Chambers is being exploited by Belgrade to build a new international narrative against Kosovo and the Kosovo Liberation Army. Security experts warn that Serbia is using the ruling as an instrument in an open hybrid war, backed by Russia, to destabilize the region.

“This issue must be taken seriously as a regional threat — an ongoing hybrid war by Serbia which is not being judged in any way, and no measures are being taken,” said security affairs expert Nuredin Ibishi. “We were close, over this de-escalation issue, to facing serious consequences — with the attack on our police and on KFOR, with eight or nine KFOR soldiers wounded — and still no sanctions were imposed. While we, very easily, were hit with sanctions over these de-escalation measures…”

But beyond international pressure, Belgrade is also trying to exploit sensitivities inside Kosovo.

“Serbia will certainly exploit this momentum on the security front, as well as on the political front, which it has already begun to exploit, coming out with various statements to incriminate [the KLA], which it has always declared a terrorist organization,” said security affairs expert Hysen Gecaj.

In a region where security tensions remain fragile, the warning is clear: as RTK reports, the latest Hague verdict risks becoming another instrument of pressure and propaganda in Belgrade’s hands, openly challenging Kosovo’s stability.