Balkans: Kosovo rearms with Javelins and Bairaktar drones, Serbian military exercises on the border

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Serbia finds itself under pressure after the parliamentary assembly vote of Council of Europe for the admission of Kosovo as a member. In response to this decision, Belgrade announced a large military exercise that will take place in the plateau of Pesteron the border with Kosovo.

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic he declared: “We will demonstrate that our country is not a punching bag and that no one will humiliate us. And their shame for everything they are doing in the Council of Europe and the UN will last forever.”

Political tensions in the region have increased over the past two years, and the war in Ukraine has exacerbated tensions in the Balkans, triggering a regional arms race.

Kosovo rushes to rearmament

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti announced the strengthening of Kosovo’s security forces and said: “At a time when we have a war in Europe and security threats from our northern neighbor, we have responded by doubling the military budget and tripling the armaments budget. We have purchased Bairaktar drones and Javelin anti-tank missiles, while there are 1,852 new soldiers in the barracks, to whom 600 new recruits will be added this year.”

The role of NATO in Kosovo

Security in Kosovo is under the control of KFOR, the NATO military forces present in the field. Countries such as the United States, Germany, Turkey and the United Kingdom are watching KFOR’s rearmament with interest.

Rick Holtzapple, deputy head of the US mission to NATO, said: “We view our relationship with the security forces in the region as an important relationship that we want to develop and their capabilities should contribute to the security of the region. We do not view the Javelins as a ‘offensive weapon, but as a defensive tool.’

Kosovo bought Barjaktar drones from Turkey last year and Javelin anti-tank systems from Britain in 2022. Another 246 Javelin missiles and tracking equipment from the United States are waiting to be delivered. Currently, Kosovo has around 3,300 soldiers, but by 2028 it is expected that there will be five thousand, with the Parliament and Government considering the introduction of compulsory military service.