Vucic presents the drone defense system he bought from Russia and announces new arms purchases

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, had previously kept secret the purchase of a drone defense system he bought from Russia some time ago when he presented on Wednesday a Russian system for protection against drones called Repellent, which Serbia had bought from its ally Russia.

This system is designed to prevent the control of drones and covers an area of 30 kilometers, it was said during the demonstration of weapons and military equipment in the southern Serbian city of Niš on the occasion of a Serbian national holiday.

At the end of January, Vucic warned of the introduction of such an anti-drone system, but did not say when exactly Serbia had received the new system, adding: “Serbia paid for it a long time ago.”

On February 14, during the arms show in Niš, the Serbian head of state warned of additional investments in the equipment of the Serbian armed forces, especially in artillery.

He said that 300 million euros would be invested in the products of local industry.

Vučić also announced that more CH-95 drones would be purchased from China, Beta news agency reported.

Due to its cooperation with Russia and China in the field of defense, Serbia is repeatedly criticized in Brussels as a candidate for membership in the European Union (EU).

It has been continuously purchasing military equipment and weapons from Russia since 2016.

Due to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is under sanctions from the European Union, the United States of America and other Western countries.

Serbia refuses to respect these sanctions, while moving ever closer to Russia and China in the purchase of weapons.

Such moves are often criticized in the European Union and warned of the risk of destabilization in the region.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the rise in tensions in Kosovo and the Western Balkans and called on Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from increasing tensions.

“My message is that all parties should refrain from divisive statements and actions that could further exacerbate tensions in the region. When it comes to Kosovo, EU-sponsored dialog is the way forward, and I encourage Pristina and Belgrade to engage in dialogue in good faith,” Stoltenberg said.

/TheGeopost