Serbia has unveiled a strategy aimed at equipping its army with robotic platforms, as well as forming drone divisions and battalions for long-range attacks. The Serbian president justified the move by saying that the security situation is more complicated “mainly due to the ongoing operations and activities of the military alliance of Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb.” The Croatian Defense Minister reacted to his statement
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the country's army, has announced the finalization of a robotics strategy, to counter, as he said, the activities carried out within the framework of the Kosovo-Albania-Croatia military alliance.
He said that within this framework, the formation of a battalion-level unit equipped with robotic platforms is envisaged, organizational preparations for the formation of drone divisions and battalions for long-range attacks and flying munitions, training of special reconnaissance units to determine the coordinates of targets for directing artillery and air fire, as well as further equipment and training for the use of drones in other units.
After meeting with the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army at the "Banjica" barracks, he said that he had asked officers to participate in the digitalization and robotization of the army, "using the most powerful and modern missiles."
"The security situation is somewhat more complicated than in January when we addressed this issue, mainly due to further operations and activities of the military alliance of Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb. Our determination to maintain peace and stability has not changed, and we can maintain it only if we are strong and powerful enough," Vučić said.
Last year, Croatia, Albania and Kosovo signed a Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Defense and Security, which aims to strengthen stability and security in Southeast Europe, support the Euro-Atlantic path and deepen cooperation among the three countries. Representatives of all three states have denied that the alliance threatens Serbia.
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This was reiterated on Wednesday by Croatia's Defense Minister, Ivan Anusic.
"In response to repeated questions about Serbia's reaction, the answer is the same - the time has passed when someone dictated to Croatia, today a sovereign state and member of NATO and the EU, what to do and how to conduct its policy. It will never happen again," Anusic wrote in X.
He also announced a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Albania, Ermal Nuka, and said that the meeting is a confirmation of strong friendship and interstate alliance. Anusic stressed that both countries aim for peace, security and stability in Eastern Europe and that cooperation in the development of defense capacities has been deepened on these principles.
And, Vučić said that in the coming days, contracts will be signed that he described as very important for the supply of weapons and military equipment.
"We expect important visits and new contracts with other countries, in order to place large orders for our army. I believe that in the coming period we will raise everything we talked about today to a higher level. We will continue to develop in all areas. I think we will be one of the armies with the highest interoperability and the greatest capacities not only in our region, but also beyond," he said.
According to data from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, in 2024 alone, Serbia spent about $2.2 billion on defense, nearly five times more than Albania, which ranks second in the region for military spending.
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Last month, Vučić also announced the purchase of supersonic ballistic missiles from China for the Serbian Air Force. And shortly after, Vučić also announced the return of regular military service.
Croatia and Albania are part of NATO, while Kosovo is home to the alliance's mission, KFOR.
