A military parade called “The Power of Unity“ was held in the Serbian capital Belgrade today, in which over 10,000 servicemen participated and about 2,500 units of weapons and military equipment, over 600 vehicles, 70 aircraft and 20 vessels were presented, BTA reported.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia wants peace, but also knows how to preserve its territory.
“This is the pride of Serbia. We worked on this together, soldiers and citizens, the state and the people. This is both the survival and the victory of Serbia, which wants peace and prosperity and knows how to preserve its dignity, its territory and its future. This is our strength. The strength of unity“, Vucic stressed in a post on Instagram.
The decision to hold the parade was made back in January, Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić told Serbian public broadcaster RTS earlier today.
“90 percent of the displayed equipment“ is new, and “all branches of the Serbian armed forces“ are participating in the parade,“ Gašić added.
Among the first units of combat equipment displayed at the parade were the armored combat vehicles “Lazar 3“, “Miloš“ and “Hummer“, followed by air defense systems and kamikaze drones “Shadow 25“ and “Shadow 50“.
Then the “Pulse“ missile system with a range of up to 300 kilometers and the Russian weapon “Krasukha“ - an electronic warfare and aircraft jamming system were shown. Both systems were acquired in 2022.
In the last part of the parade, numerous MiG-29 fighters, transport aircraft, as well as two multi-role “Rafale“ aircraft appeared.
The event ended with paratroopers jumping from a height of between 1,500 and 2,000 meters, carrying the state and Serbian Army flags.
The last parade of the Serbian Armed Forces was organized in 2014 in front of the Palace of Serbia building to commemorate the liberation of Belgrade in World War II. The guest of honor at the parade was Russian President Vladimir Putin, RTS recalled.
The police did not allow students participating in the blockade of the faculties and citizens supporting them to hold a peaceful protest, which they had previously announced for today.
Gendarmerie in full riot gear surrounded them when they reached the Palace of Serbia and pushed them towards nearby office buildings.
The intention of the protesters was to express support for the Serbian army, the organizers recalled.
Yesterday, within an hour and a half, students were summoned to a "friendly conversation" at various police stations in Belgrade with official summonses issued by the Serbian special services. During the conversation, the students were asked if they intended to boo Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during the parade, according to various Instagram posts.