Kosovo has bought a shipment of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones. Reuters writes this based on the statements of the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti. There is currently unrest in northern Kosovo, where the Serbs refuse to recognize the authorities in Pristina.
In a post on Facebook, in which Kurti poses with a drone, the Kosovar premier writes that the purchase offers a security boost to the country. How much money the drones were bought for was not disclosed, nor what purpose they will be used for. Bayraktar drones have gained worldwide fame after being used by Ukraine to eliminate Russian troops.
“Kosovo is now even safer and will always be proud,” said Kurti, who added that in two years his government had increased the number of Kosovan troops by 80% and increased the defense budget by 100%. .
NATO peacekeepers
The 15-year-old republic is still busy building an army. The goal is for the Kosovo Army to eventually comprise 5,000 professional soldiers and 3,000 reservists. In addition, NATO has around 4,500 peacekeepers stationed there.
In recent months, Kosovo has seen a surge in communal violence in the north of the country, home to some 50,000 ethnic Serbs, supported by Belgrade. Things already went sour in May, when ethnic Albanian mayors were sworn in after an election boycotted by Serbs. The Serbs then called for the implementation of a ten-year bill for greater autonomy.
membership
The ultimate goal for Kosovo is NATO membership, but four NATO member states do not recognize the country – which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 – as such. After the violence in May, the Serbian president put his army on high alert. More troops were also stationed closer to the Kosovo border.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
