Kosovo Defense Minister denies allegations of Bayraktar TB2 surveillance over Serbia

Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci has denied allegations that Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, which were reported to have flown near Serbia from Pristina, were monitoring Serbian military capabilities.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made statements to journalists following the “Fire Attack 2024” military exercise conducted by the Serbian army. Vucic claimed that the Bayraktar TB2 UAVs, acquired by Kosovo last year, flew near Serbia on June 5 and 20. He asserted, “We observed them closely; at another time, they would not have remained in the air for long.”

Vucic noted that the flight took place in an area under the control of NATO’s Peacekeeping Force in Kosovo (KFOR) and stated that Serbia respects the area controlled by KFOR. He emphasized that this did not pose a security threat to Serbia, adding, “We analyzed these flights. Of course, it was done to broadly monitor the capabilities of our army.”

Kosovo rejects Vucic’s statements

Kosovo Defense Minister Maqedonci, in a statement to local media, said that Vucic’s statements do not reflect the truth. Maqedonci explained, “We have an unmanned aerial systems unit within the Kosovo Security Force operating Bayraktar UAVs, and their operations are conducted normally within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, without any intention of monitoring any neighboring country or violating any country’s airspace.”

Serbia still considers Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008, as its own territory. Kosovo and Serbia are trying to find a solution for the normalization of relations and mutual recognition within the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Process, initiated in 2011 under European Union mediation.