British NATO Reinforcements Arrive in Kosovo

The first contingent of British soldiers arrived in Kosovo today (6 October 2023) to reinforce NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission.

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News Release, Brussels, 06 October 2023: The first contingent of two hundred British soldiers arrived in Kosovo on Friday (6 October 2023) to reinforce NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission. The deployment comes after the violent attack on Kosovo Police on 24 September and increased tensions in the region.

The soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment are joining a 400-strong UK contingent already in Kosovo. The Romanian government on Tuesday (3 October) announced it was also sending some 100 extra troops to bolster KFOR.

These deployments are a prudent step to ensure KFOR has the forces it needs to fulfil its UN mandate to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo. The deployment is based on a request by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and was approved by Allies in the North Atlantic Council.

NATO has been leading a peacekeeping operation in Kosovo since 1999 in accordance with its mandate under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. KFOR currently consists of well over 4,500 troops contributed by 27 NATO Allies and partners.

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