On Saturday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Belgrade was ready to partially accept the requirements of the Kosovo-Albanian authorities in Pristina for entry documents into the region under certain conditions and EU guarantees. Later on Saturday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti has guaranteed to the European Union that Serbs will be able to freely move across the border while using their identification documents.
"The purpose of the exercises is to maintain a high level of readiness of the units involved and their ability to react quickly should the necessity arise, as well as to ensure peace and security on the administrative line with the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija," the ministry said on the website.
The drills are focused on "combat operations in the event of an attack on a unit, as well as tactics, techniques, and procedures used to prevent illegal border crossings, activities of extremist groups, and organized crime," the ministry said, adding that the drills are taking place at bases and military facilities in the security zones.
The Serbian military holds exercises in the security zone 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from the administrative line regularly, with the last drills taking place in January.
According to local citizens, armored vehicles and other military equipment have already arrived in the Serbian towns of Raska and Novi Pazar near the administrative line.
A local, Stefan Veljkovic, told Sputnik that NATO military equipment has been spotted not far away from the administrative line with Kosovo.
Veljkovic said he saw two armored vehicles carrying US flags and marked KFOR (the Kosovo Force, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo) in the town of Leposavic, northern Kosovo, where mostly Serbs live. He added that the said vehicles were parked along a road, with soldiers standing nearby. The troops did not hinder the movement of civilian vehicles, nor did they check documents, Veljkovic said.
The recent escalation between Serbia and Kosovo, which Belgrade sees as its breakaway region, was triggered when Pristina announced plans to introduce new border rules from August 1. The controversial move pushed Serbs to set up roadblocks. Kosovo authorities eventually decided to postpone implementing the new regulations until September 1, on the condition that the roadblocks are removed. Brussels urged the sides to negotiate further, but the talks fell through.