The Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandar Bocan-Kharchenko, is spreading disinformation, claiming that a "gradual ethnic cleansing of Serbs" is taking place in Kosovo, and that the Kosovo authorities are deliberately creating "unbearable living conditions" for the Serbian community.
What did Botsan-Kharchenko say?
"It is about, one can speak openly about this, a gradual undeclared ethnic cleansing. In other words — the expulsion of Serbs from the territory of Kosovo, the creation of unbearable living conditions for them.
"And all this is happening, we will not recall now what it is about, but this invasion of northern Kosovo by Pristina has happened, is happening and, unfortunately, we must start from the fact that it will continue," said the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Belgrade, RT Balkan reports.
Analysis:
Kharchenko and Russian media outlets like RT Balkan and Sputnik Serbia are repeating Belgrade's narrative that Kosovo is "systematically killing Serbs," which is completely unfounded and unproven by international reports.
On the contrary — Serbs in Kosovo enjoy considerable rights, are integrated into Kosovo institutions, and many of the problems they face stem not from the policies of Kosovo authorities, but from Belgrade's long-term and counterproductive policy, which instead of integration promotes division and displacement.
In the Kosovo Assembly, out of 120 deputies, 20 seats are reserved for non-majority communities, of which 10 belong to the Serbian community.
This means that Serbian representatives participate directly in legislative power.
At the local level, ethnic Serb mayors took office in 2025 in 10 municipalities in Kosovo.
Also, within the Kosovo judicial system, there are dozens of judges and prosecutors of Serbian nationality who work in accordance with the laws of Kosovo, which shows that Serbs are part of state structures.
Kosovo has a legal framework that protects the rights of minorities, while international institutions such as the UN, the EU, and the Council of Europe regularly monitor the human rights situation and intervene when systemic challenges arise.
While Kosovo struggles to integrate Serbs into its institutions, Belgrade It consistently refuses to recognize Kosovo's legal system and uses the Serbian community as a political tool, often inciting fear, boycotts, and non-cooperation.
This is not the first time that Botsan-Kharchenko has spread false claims.
The term “ethnic cleansing” is repeated several times to create a false image that Pristina is endangering Serbs, which directly aligns with Moscow’s propaganda strategy.The Geopost.
