09.09.2022.
Statement by State Secretary at Ministry of Defence Branko Živanović
“It is quite worrying, in the days when armed Albanians are entering the north of Kosovo and Metohija, when someone, claiming to be a member of the Military Union of Serbia, speaks up and produces an array of the most shameless lies trying to support the greatest one that he perfidiously spreads claiming that a total breakdown of the state’s defensive power has happened and that Serbia will not have operational armed forces in the near future.
In their today’s statement, the leadership of the Military Union came down on Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, remaining consistent in their glorification of the ministers and times during which more than 30,000 people were driven out to the street from the Serbian Armed Forces, where units were disbanded, arms and military equipment melted for scrap and sold for nothing, and when the salary of a senior sergeant first class was 368 euros, which is considered phenomenal by the leadership of the Military Union and, according to some calculation of theirs, higher than today’ salary of 645 euros.
Those and such members of the Union claim that Minister Stefanović lies when he speaks about the increase in operational capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces and betterment of the living standard of our servicemen. Probably, respectable global lists lie as well according to which the Serbian Armed Forces made progress in terms of their power by no less than 28 places over the last five years, or maybe the so-called Union members are spreading various fabrications bringing joy of those who do not want strong Armed Forces.
The same persons also claim that 80% of professional members of the armed forces receive the salary which is less than the average in the Republic of Serbia. Currently, the average salary of professional members of the armed forces is 76,009 dinars, while the average salary in the Republic is 74,302 dinars, but we got used to the fact that in the calculations of the Military Union the less is in fact more. They already stated that they find unsuitable the soldier’s salaries, which are higher by 70% in comparison to the salaries in December 2012.
But it was only to be expected that they would remain silent when the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić recently announced a new 25 per cent salary increase for members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces which would be the fourth one within two years. They remained silent at the fact that last year the influx of personnel was significantly higher than the outflow, just like they were quiet when new and powerful weapons arrived - in general, they kept quiet every time something good and valuable happened in our system.
They were particularly irritated by the facts stated by Minister Stefanović that this year we recorded the largest number in past six years of young men and women who applied for the voluntary military service for September intake, and that 80 per cent of the young, who apply for the voluntary military service, express their intention to pursue career in the Serbian Armed Forces.
Whatever these supposed members of the Union claimed, we are proud of the confidence that the young have for their armed forces, and the Ministry of Defence will continue, with immense support and wholehearted assistance of President Vučić, fighting for further betterment of the standard of living of our servicemen and their families, and for the strengthening of our armed forces in every way. No matter what various people desired, there is no breakdown of the defensive power of the state of Serbia, and there will not be one.”
