Serbia's Vucic Reveals Secret Military Build-Up, Cites Threats from Kosovo, Croatia, Albania, and Bulgaria

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stated that Serbia has been secretly rearming its military in recent years, with the goal of significantly boosting its capabilities to ensure national freedom and security, BGNES repoirts. According to him, the Serbian Armed Forces are now stronger than ever, and the extent of the country’s new military capabilities has been deliberately kept under wraps. “Few people know what weapons we’ve brought in. We’ve done it in secret,” he said.

Vucic pointed to a growing defense alignment between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia, claiming that the three countries are “creating a military alliance” and have repeatedly encouraged Bulgaria to join their efforts. In this context, he argued, Serbia is compelled to reinforce its own military strength. The president announced that a major military parade in September will serve as a public display of Serbia’s enhanced arsenal.

He emphasized that the country has “hidden huge changes” in the structure and equipment of its armed forces. “At most, five people are aware of what we’ve acquired,” Vucic claimed, adding that many observers will be “surprised” by the improvements. He noted that under a revised military doctrine, Serbia’s army must develop “incomparably greater power” to preserve its sovereignty and remain a credible force.

The president also said that Serbia has developed new unmanned aerial capabilities and that “many types of drones” are now part of its defense inventory. According to him, NATO drones have been detected flying over Serbian territory multiple times, but Belgrade has chosen not to react, in order to keep its defense capabilities hidden. “We don’t want them to know what we have,” he explained.

While defending Serbia’s right to military preparedness, Vucic rejected suggestions that the country poses a threat to its neighbors. He underlined that Serbia is surrounded by NATO member states and has no interest in launching aggression, but said it must remain vigilant. “We will not fire first,” he said. “But we must be ready to defend our country.”

Meanwhile, Vucic also touched on economic issues, confirming that Serbia is preparing to resume talks with the United States regarding the future of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS). NIS has submitted a new request to the U.S. Treasury Department seeking a special license that would allow it to continue operating beyond June 27, when its current license expires.

The oil company was sanctioned due to its ties with Russia’s Gazprom Neft, a company that is under Western sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine. NIS’s request aims to prevent disruption to its operations, as its Russian ownership places it at “secondary risk” under international sanctions regimes.

It is worth noting that on March 18, Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia signed a Declaration on Security and Defence Cooperation. The trilateral agreement emphasizes deeper coordination in responding to security threats and hybrid risks. While it has been perceived by some as the beginning of a military pact, the signatory countries have denied this, stating that the purpose is to enhance regional stability rather than form an alliance.

Source: BGNES