Overview

• President Aleksandar Vucic reviewed a parade in Belgrade featuring about 10,000 personnel and thousands of vehicles and weapons.
• The Israeli PULS rocket artillery system drew attention for a range of up to 300 kilometers, which analysts say can reach most Balkan capitals.
• Serbia presented a mixed arsenal that included Israeli rocket launchers, UAE-made drones, Russian tanks, Chinese air defenses, and French Rafale jets flown by France as the country awaits its own order of 12.
• Opposition figures and rights groups condemned the event as political theater, citing reports of pressured attendance and noting that police blocked student protesters from the viewing area.
• Belgrade highlights diversified procurement and a stance of de facto neutrality, has paused arms exports after Russian accusations over Ukraine, and has a €1 billion-plus Hermes 900 drone deal with Israel’s Elbit.