Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović Expose Lies of Priština Provisional Institutions

Today, in the Central Military Club, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević and Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Milan Mojsilović held a press conference in connection to the lies presented to the public in the previous period by representatives of the Provisional self-government institutions in Priština about the events that took place in the place of Banjska on 24^th September.

On that occasion, Minister Vučević and General Mojsilović presented a series of evidence and facts that fully refute the accusations of representatives of Priština regarding the involvement of the Serbian Armed Forces in the events in Banjska, and they exposed the background of the media campaign that is being intensively conducted for days to the detriment of our country.

- I would like to remind both Serbian and international public that, not only in previous weeks and months, but years back, especially since the appointment of Albin Kurti as the leader of the administration in Priština, the Republic of Serbia, meaning our state leadership has been warning primarily international and our national public of the continuous pressure, harassment and physical persecution of Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija - said Minister Vučević.

He underlined that the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces with KFOR is good and continuous.

- It is carried out, and it functions in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and in line with Kumanovo Military Technical Treaty. It has been going on for years. It has been carried out almost on daily basis, starting from the level of the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR Commander, to the level of the Commission for the Implementation of Kumanovo Military Technical Treaty. That cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR is based on mutual respect and it has been conducted correctly. Those are irrefutable facts - the minister of defence stressed.

According to him, the Republic of Serbia deems it important that KFOR plays as significant role as possible in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in the areas with Serbian population, and that is something that we never opposed.

- The Serbs who live in the south province have absolutely nothing against the presence of KFOR, and KFOR units in their environment. It is important to note that significant political difference between our state and the members of the Quint are one thing, but the cooperation in the field between the Serbian Armed Forces and KFOR is entirely different thing. Accordingly, the Serbian Armed Forces believe that it is useful to ensure as large presence of KFOR unit as possible in Kosovo and Metohija, and that it would, especially in the areas populated by the Serbs, enhance to a certain degree the position, security, and safety of our people in Kosovo and Metohija - Vučević stressed.

The minister of defence underlined that in all those years KFOR had never crossed the territory of central Serbia, nor had it done the Serbian Armed Forces without KFOR permission or in agreement with KFOR, absolutely implementing Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement and honouring and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

- Never before has it happened that the Serbian Armed Forces violated these documents, and acts in any way or undermine the communication with KFOR members. These are not technical information, these are essential information significant, primarily for the security of our citizens in Kosovo and Metohija, and for the security of the entire Republic of Serbia - the minister noted.

He stated that: “over the last several days, a continuous campaign against the Serbian Armed Forces, their strength and activities, and movement and deployment of their units in the territory of our state has been led from Priština and certain world media as well”. The minister of defence categorically refuted those allegations stating that they are utterly inappropriate, irresponsible and false.

- If the Serbian Armed Forces receive an order from the President of the Republic of Serbia as their Supreme Commander, for its units to enter the territory of Kosovo and Metohija as a part of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Armed Forces will execute the task efficiently, professionally and successfully. Even in that case, they would previously notify KFOR units, and KFOR Command. They would not do anything behind somebody else’s back, absolutely honouring the norms of the public international law, or the norms of laws of war. Thank God, until today, we did not have to make such decision, and the Republic of Serbia will do everything in its power to prevent this scenario, and developments from happening in the future - Minister Vučević stated.

He underlined the importance of preserving peace and arriving at a political solution.

- That is why, dear citizens of the Republic of Serbia, it is important that we continue the political dialogue. That is why it is important to honour the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244. -That is why it is important to implement the Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement. That is why it is important to implement everything that has been achieved through previous agreements in the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština in order to avoid any possible escalation, and every possible conflict which is not in our national interest - Minister Vučević concluded.

The minister then reflected on the fact that part of the international community is bothered by the presence of the Serbian Armed Forces at the positions close to the Administrative Line towards the Province of Kosovo and Metohija, even though their strength on this day is by 8000 less than the number of members of our armed forces who were deployed in that area in December 2022 or January 2023.

- How come there were no reactions then? How come there were no attacks on the state of Serbia and our armed forces according to the same principle or on the same matter? What happened and what scared someone in the so-called international community? I repeat that since 1999, and I refer to the period of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later the Serbian Armed Forces, the Serbian Armed Forces, there were no actions of the Serbian Armed Forces that led to or resulted in violation of either the Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement or Resolution 1244 - the minister of defence said.

He underlined that Milan Radoičić did not participate in the military exercises at Pasuljanske Livade.

- The fact that someone plays thermal vision recordings from a vague location, with utterly unidentified individuals and faces, can mean absolutely nothing. This morning I have seen that they aired a recording of some alleged exercise with the use of hummwees, claiming, yet again, if I understood correctly, that it was again from Pasuljanske Livade. The Serbian Armed Forces as well as their paramilitary troops in the so-called Kosovo have hummwees. Both we and them. Our hummwees are armed as well, I am talking about the vehicles, our hummers are armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun for which there is no blank ammunition. Hence it is not possible to carry out such manoeuvres, or such exercises, that are presented on that recording, and as you can see on that recording that the Albanian side is wielding or , more precisely putting on the air in media, you can see the infantry around that vehicle in action. In such circumstances, blank ammunition is used, while the Albanian side on the same hummwees has 7.62mm machine gun for which there is the blank ammunition. The question is whose vehicle is that and who is operating it - the minister of defence emphasised.

Minister Vučević presented the photographs of the hummwees he spoke about. The photographs show a hammwee of the Serbian Armed Forces with a 12.7 mm machine gun for which there is no blank ammunition and a hammwee owned by Priština with a 7.62 mm machine gun for which there exists blank ammunition.

- It is very important for me to share with you, with the citizens of Serbia and with the public, something that relates to the barrage of accusations that ensued in the previous week, the previous days, against our state, an internationally recognised state, a member of the United Nations, our Ministry of Defence and our honourable Serbian Armed Forces, accusing us that we have trained and armed the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. And Kurti and his co-perpetrators support that claim showing as a proof allegedly confiscated weapons i.e. arms and military equipment that they displayed in the previous days, indicating that those arms and military equipment had been manufactured in Serbia, namely in our special-purpose or defence industry - Minister Vučević said.

Then he raised a question directed primarily at Kurti and his co-perpetrators about the fact that the so-called ‘Kosovo police’ also uses weapons produced in Serbia.

- There is a multitude of photographs showing that their special police units use our automatic rifle M70. According to that logic, did Serbia arm and train the Albanian ‘Kosovo police’ to shoot at the Serbs? We certainly have not sold it to them. But, does it mean that we also have trained and armed them? – Minister Vučević asked.

He pointed out that it is logical that the Serbs have weapons made in Serbia, and asked where did the Albanians get the Serbian weapons?

- Here is the M72 submachine gun from some of their earlier events, and here are these “ninjas” of theirs with our guns. When I say ours, I repeat, those rifles produced in the Republic of Serbia. And here are these special photos that are striking, all with a sign of welcome to the Banjska monastery. Where did the Albanian policeman get our weapons? - Minister Vučević asked emphasizing that the photos he showed on that occasion testify to the real truth.

Minister Vučević also pointed out that, without going into whose weapons and military equipment were shown by the Kosovo Albanian police, the same weapons and military equipment can be found in the territories of the former Yugoslavia - everywhere and with everyone.

- It is complete nonsense to claim that this is a proof that the Serbian state, the Ministry of Defence, the Serbian Armed Forces as a serious institution, a the guarantor of the sovereignty of our country, participate in what some call terrorist actions or acts. Terrorism is ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo. That is terrorism. Their daily arrests, shootings, detentions, mistreatment, searches of hospitals, kindergartens, schools, not allowing EULEX to participate in the activities they are authorized to participate in - Minister Vučević stressed.

According to him, Serbia has no problem with deploying a larger number of KFOR forces.

- The Republic of Serbia has absolutely no problem in cooperation with KFOR and EULEX, we have no problem with the increased presence and deploying additional KFOR forces in the area where Serbs live in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as throughout Kosovo and Metohija. And all the activities of the Serbian Armed Forces are defined in the applicable laws of our country. We are not doing anything secret or hidden. We have daily communication with KFOR. We respect public international law and the signed agreements. And any possible activity of ours would be announced in advance and very clear, very visible and noticeable. And we expect an answer to the question of what happened on 24^th September in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, so that our authorities can also participate in establishing the facts so that the truth come into the light of day - Minister Vučević said.

At the end of his address, he pointed out that in the coming days he will answer questions, monitor the situation and above all defend the interests of the Republic of Serbia and all our citizens, taking into account the safety of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

In his address, General Mojsilović, Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, referred to the communication given in Washington and Brussels relating to the excessive engagement of the Serbian Armed Forces in the area along the Administrative Line. As he pointed out, in the said communication, a high level of concern was expressed regarding the number of equipment and troops of the Serbian Armed Forces deployed in the area along the Administrative Line and on the routes leading from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija to the central part of the Republic of Serbia.

- I would like to inform you that, in line with the orders of the supreme commander, there was no increase in the level of combat readiness of the Serbian Armed Forces. Instead, there was only reinforced increase in the presence and engagement of units in the Ground Safety Zone and along the Administrative line. Following the breaking out of the security crisis, the Serbian Armed Forces, respecting and executing the orders, increased their presence along the Ground Safety Zone. No later than 25^th September, the strength of our engaged members was 8,350 not only to secure the Administrative line in the Ground Safety Zone, but in all units located and deployed near the Administrative Line - said General Mojsilović.

From the military point of view, he assessed that all comments regarding the strength of the engaged forces of the Serbian Armed Forces in previous 10 days had been completely unnecessary.

- I would like to remind you that not that long ago, in December 2022, we had a similar security crisis. In May 2023, as well. On the basis of the order from the supreme commander and President of Serbia, and abiding by all those orders that we have received, the Serbian Armed Forces increased their combat readiness at the time of those two events at the highest level, and both times it engaged 14,000 members of the Serbian Armed Forces - said Chief of General Staff.

He added that: “At the time of those two events, not so long ago, nobody took notice of us, and we bothered no one, and no one expressed concern regarding the strength of the forces engaged in the Ground Safety Zone, along the Administrative Line and along direction leading from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.”

- That is why it is strange that today someone expresses a deep concern about 8,350 members. We see no reason for that today as well, when there was no formal increase in combat readiness and, to the contrary, the strength was two times less. I would like to inform you that with this day included and at this moment, the Serbian Armed Forces has 4,500 members engaged in the Ground Safety Zone, who are capable of monitoring, securing and influencing the state of security in Serbia. I believe that it is very important to know that the working regime of the units in 5-kilometre belt in the Ground Safety Zone on the tasks of securiing the Administrative Line with Kosovo and Metohija has been restored to normal state. This implies and means the regular strength of the engaged units in the Ground Safety Zone - said General Mojsilović.

Speaking about the accusations regarding the training of terrorists, General Mojsilović stressed that the Serbian Armed Forces are a serious, strong organisation, which does not suffer any improvisations, nor lies, stressing that the accusations that the Serbian Armed Forces planned a raid in Kosovo and Metohija “insult intellect”.

- From the military point of view, it seems completely out of operational logic that some 30 men and engaged 4,500 service members have such power. I have been wearing the uniform for 37 years, and I consider myself a man with certain military experience. If you ask me, even 14,000 servicemen are not enough for such a complex task - said the Chief of General Staff adding that he was ready at that moment to quite transparently share information that relate to the training of the reserve.

- The planned and organised training of the Serbian Armed Forces reserve to which all citizens of the Republic of Serbia between 18 and 60 years of age are subjected, is carried out in line with plans and in an organised fashion, in accordance with laws on defence, Law on the armed forces, Law on military, material and working obligation, and, of course, it is related to all regulations which define the said matter. In 2019, we have introduced as a particular form of training of the population, the training of the reserve for the persons over 30 years of age who did not serve military service. We believed that there were operational requirements for the Ministry of Defence to implement such form of training having in mind that it is the result or, better say, a consequence of the decision passed by the National Assembly in 2011 abolishing compulsory conscription - said the Chief of the General Staff.

General Mojsilović pointed out that it is the right and obligation of all citizens of the Republic of Serbia, including persons from Kosovo and Metohija, who are citizens of the Republic of Serbia, to respond to the call for one-day and multi-day military exercises and other military activities.

- I would like to point out that the total number of training activities at training ranges and drill grounds of the Serbian Armed Forces in the previous period was as follows - 127 in 2021, 147 in 2022 and 131 in 2023, and this year is still ongoing. As for the reserve composition, in the last three years the reserve force training had been implemented in all units of the Serbian Armed Forces, in all periods of this year. This was realised and took place as follows - in 2021, training was carried out with 896 members of the reserve component, this year and our activities were also affected by the year in which the COVID pandemic was still active, in 2022, training was conducted with 1052 members, and in 2023, training was conducted with 2400 members of the reserve force. For the mentioned training, we used and are still using all the drill grounds and training ranges of the Serbian Armed Forces - General Mojsilović emphasised.

According to him, even today, the units of the Serbian Armed Forces are conducting training with the reserve component, and currently 39 people are undergoing training.

- When we talk about persons from the reserve component from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, from the municipalities of Zubin Potok, Leposavić, Zvečan, Kosovska Mitrovica, from the municipalities of Kosovsko Pomoravlje, I would like to inform you that from 2021 we have included these persons in training, which is regular training of the reserve component of the Serbian Armed Forces. It has been almost the fourth year already that we have been calling individuals from the reserve component from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija to training. I have to underline here that these people live in quite complex conditions, not only live but also work, so we estimate that these are the reasons why we have had a low response rate to military exercises so far. That response rate does not exceed 19 percent and is approximately equal to that of reserve personnel in some municipalities in the north of the Republic - General Mojsilović pointed out.

The Serbian Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff pointed out that by citing these data, he wanted to show that nothing is hidden, that nothing is secret and that nothing is mystical.

- How it looked by years - in 2021 - 10 people responded, in 2022 - 30 persons in March and May, 80 persons in August and September. The training with these individuals was carried out at training grounds in the garrison of Vršac and Pasuljanske livade. In 2023, in February and March, a one-day exercise in the Raska garrison with 15 people each. In this second round or in the month of March, there were certain problems, where a small number were removed from training due to lack of discipline. In September 2023, a total of 138 reserve personnel took part in the aforementioned activities, and out of that number only 10 people attended two or three exercises - General Mojsilović pointed out.

According to him, in the last three weeks of September, exercises were carried out with different units, whose composition consisted of reservists from different parts of the Republic of Serbia, and there were also people from Kosovo and Metohija.

- As per our records, I inform you that Milan Radoičić did not participate in the training at Pasuljanske Livade. He did not fire a single bullet. He did not launch a single grenade, nor did he attend the mentioned activities. I repeat, he did not participate or attend in the training. On a couple of occasions, in previous years, he was called up for exercises, but he did not respond. And what Radoičić is doing on his private property, you will agree with me, is not a matter for the Serbian Armed Forces - General Mojsilović pointed out.

He also reminded of the fact that the persons from the reserve component from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija are part of the integral system of filling the ranks of the Serbian Armed Forces with the reserve component, and what is the key point, they are part of the integral system of manning the reserve component of the Serbian Armed Forces.

- On behalf of the Serbian Army, I take the opportunity to most seriously and responsibly deny all allegations made by Pristina - General Mojsilović said.