Serbia stages a large military parade to showcase tanks, jets and missile systems

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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia on Saturday staged a large-scale military parade in the capital Belgrade, showcasing tanks, missile systems and fighter jets in what officials described as the country’s biggest display of army strength in its history.

President Aleksandar Vucic reviewed the parade, which included about 10,000 troops, saying the show of force underscored Serbia’s ability to defend its independence and sovereignty and act as a deterrent against any foreign aggressor. Serbia is mostly surrounded by NATO-member states.

Columns of troops marched through the New Belgrade district of the capital as crowds waved national flags, while aircraft roared overhead.

The event featured both domestically produced weapons as well as rocket launchers from Israel, drones purchased from the United Arab Emirates as well as tanks supplied by Russia and anti-aircraft systems from China, reflecting Belgrade’s close ties with Moscow and Beijing despite its declared goal of joining the European Union.

What caught most of the attention of military experts was the Israeli PULS system, a versatile rocket artillery platform capable of launching a range of munitions with varying ranges and payloads. Its range is up to 300 kilometers (185 miles), meaning it can reach most of the Balkan capitals.

Another surprise appearance was a couple of the French air force's Rafale fighter jets. Serbia has ordered 12 such multi-purpose aircraft that are due for delivery in the coming years.

Critics said the parade was designed less to showcase the strength of the military than to bolster Vucic’s populist rule that has been challenged by student-led protests and growing international scrutiny of his increasingly authoritarian grip on power.

Opposition leaders accused the government of using the army as a political prop, while rights groups noted that some state employees were pressured to attend the parade and were transported in hundreds of buses.

Hundreds of university students and other opposition supporters, who have for more than 10 months staged anti-corruption protests against Vucic and his government, were prevented by riot police from joining other spectators of the parade.

Vucic has refused a student demand to call an early parliamentary election. He has instead stepped up a crackdown on the protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people in the past months.

The anti-government protests first started in November last year after a concrete canopy collapse at a renovated train station in the northern city of Novi Sad killed 16 people. It ignited a nationwide movement seeking justice for the victims and blaming corruption-fueled negligence for the tragedy.