BELGRADE – Serbian officials reacted with strong condemnation to the recent delivery of Turkish-made “Skydagger” combat drones to Pristina, the acquisition which will significantly bolster the capabilities of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). On the other hand, Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo, claimed that Türkiye contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The timing of the drone delivery and Serbia’s reactions also coincided with the recent assumption of command of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) by Turkish Major General Özkan Ulutaş.
The Serbian Defense Ministry stated that General Milan Mojsilović, Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF), held an urgent phone call Major General Ulutaş to address Kosovo’s ongoing arming, including the recent delivery of Turkish drones, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić even suggested that Türkiye is once again “dreaming of reviving the Ottoman Empire”.
Kurti: Kosovo is modernizing its military force
The arrival “of thousands of” Turkish drones was confirmed by Kosovo’s Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti on 8 October. He stated that it “significantly strengthens Kosovo’s defense capabilities and modernizes its military force”.
Kurti clarified that the drones, manufactured by the Turkish defense company Baykar, arrived three months ahead of their originally scheduled January delivery.
He described the Skydagger drones as combat drones equipped with explosive payloads designed for precision strikes against both moving and stationary targets.
According to Kurti, these new unmanned aircraft would operate alongside Kosovo’s existing fleet of Baykar TB2 Bayraktar and U.S. Puma systems, “contributing to the ongoing effort to build and modernize the military through new technologies and contemporary combat tactics”.
Vučić: Türkiye is destabilizing the Western Balkans
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić echoed Đurić’s sentiments. On 8 October he accused Türkiye of violating international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and “actively destabilizing the Western Balkans”.
Vučić even suggested that Türkiye is once again “dreaming of restoring the Ottoman Empire,” a rhetorical tactic often used in the Balkans. He also highlighted what he perceived as a double standard, given Serbia’s own efforts to modernize its military through cooperation with countries like Russia and China.
Vjosa Osmani called Vučić’s statements “shameful and hypocritical”, having in mind Serbia’s own military ties with Russia, China, and Iran.
However, in the media address on October 9 Vučić somehow altered his rhetorics, and called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “a great leader”.
In addition, Serbian President announced that he would talk to his Turkish counterpart about the drones that had been delivered to Pristina.
“Last year I begged Erdoğan to stop arming Pristina… I also asked the Americans to stop doing it”, he said.
