The trial of three defendants accused in connection with the November 2024 attack on the Ibër-Lepenc canal continued Tuesday at the Palace of Justice in Prishtina.
The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. and concerns the explosion that seriously damaged the canal on November 29, 2024, in the village of Varagë, Zubin-Potok.
Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has charged all three defendants with unauthorized possession of weapons. Brothers Jovan and Dragiša Vićentijević are additionally charged with offenses including endangering the constitutional order through the destruction or damage of public installations and equipment, committing a terrorist act and espionage.
The indictment was filed on December 9, 2025, by the Special Prosecution, which alleges that the defendants were connected to the attack that caused significant damage to the Ibër-Lepenc canal, a critical component of Kosovo’s water infrastructure and an important source for the country’s energy system.
Alleged training in Serbia
The indictment, filed by prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu, also includes statements that Jovan Vićentijević allegedly gave to prosecutors.
According to the indictment, Vićentijević said he had undergone training at the Serbian Army’s Pasuljanske Livade training range together with around 120 other people between September 14 and 23, 2023.
The prosecution alleges that members of a group led by Milan Radoičić also underwent training at the same facility in September 2023. Radoičić has been accused by Kosovo authorities of involvement in the armed attack in Banjska, Zvečan, on September 24, 2023.
According to the indictment, Vićentijević also allegedly told investigators that another attack in Kosovo had been planned for October 2024 but was subsequently cancelled. The indictment further alleges that the operation was expected to take place after the U.S. presidential election.
FBI expertise among prosecution evidence
Among the evidence presented by the prosecution is an expert analysis conducted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the indictment, the analysis concluded that material found on the defendants’ footwear had the same structure, color and composition as a sample collected at the scene of the explosion at the Ibër-Lepenc canal.
The November 29, 2024 explosion caused extensive damage to the canal in Varagë, Zubin-Potok. The canal supplies water to significant parts of Kosovo and plays an important role in the country’s energy production system.
The proceedings are expected to examine evidence submitted by both the prosecution and defense, as well as testimony concerning the circumstances of the explosion and the defendants’ alleged roles.
All three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until their guilt is established by a final court judgment.
