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Serbian/FRY forces precarious. These gains, while
undoubtedly being somewhat exaggerated in much of the
Kosovar press, served to boost the confidence of the
population in the methods utilised by the UCK, rather
than the so-called non-violent strategy which continued
to be advocated by the LDK and Ibrahim Rugova, who would
not recognise the UCK, and this resulted in the further
increase in its membership. Towards the end of June, the offensive by the VJ and MUP in the border area continued further, with the shelling of villages. The widespread looting of houses was also observed in this area and it appeared to the ECMM that the VJ were strengthening their positions. Additionally, on 28 and 29 June a significant assault was launched on Belacevac, to the west of Pristina, north of Slatina, which had been in the control of the UCK, and the press also reported a police attack, using helicopters, on Klina. It should be noted that during a meeting in Moscow on 16 June, between President Milosevic and the Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, an agreement was reached to allow international diplomatic observers into Kosovo to monitor the situation there. These observers formed three groups – those under the auspices of the States of the European Union (EU KDOM), those coming from the United States, also incorporating Canada, (US KDOM) and those from the Russian Federation (Russian KDOM) – and became operational on 6 July 1998. EU KDOM thus replaced the role played by the ECMM in Kosovo. While these observers were, by the agreement, entitled to unimpeded access throughout Kosovo, they were often prevented from patrolling large areas of territory by MUP forces at checkpoints along the roads. The general pattern of such denial of access involved a complete block whenever the Serbian/FRY forces were engaged in an operation in a particular area, until the completion of that operation and a degree of "cleaning up". By the beginning of July, clashes between the UCK and Serbian/FRY forces had spread further northwards, on the road from Kosovska Mitrovica and Gornje Klina. Further evidence of fighting at Crnoljevo was also observed. The border villages continued to sustain shelling by the VJ and soldiers were observed by the ECMM monitors stationed across the border in Albania to be involved in the clearing of houses. Many houses were being torched by these same forces and a significant degree of troop movement could be seen, along with the presence of military helicopters. Additional reports of displaced persons seeking to cross the border into Albania being fired upon were being collected upon the arrival of such persons in Tropoje, and other locations. The village of Batusa was apparently targeted on 6 and 7 July and many houses set on fire. Such reports continued towards mid July of helicopters and heavy mortar and artillery fire in the area from Djakovica to Junik. In confirmation of such witness accounts, smoke was observed coming from the area of Rastavica32.
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