BELGRADE — Tanks, jeeps, and soldiers paraded through the Serbian capital under bright sunshine on September 20, in a massive military spectacle that some opposition figures criticized as a politicization of the armed forces.
Overhead, Russian-made MiG-29s roared across the skies alongside French-produced Rafale jets, underlining Serbia’s geopolitical balancing act as a country that seeks close ties with both Russia and the West.
President Aleksandar Vucic described the parade as “a source of pride for Serbia.” It included some 10,000 personnel and 2,600 pieces of military equipment.
Elsewhere in the city, several hundred people staged a protest. The event came amid months of nationwide protests following the fatal collapse of part of a railway station building in the northern city of Novi Sad in November.
Protesters have demanded early elections and a crackdown on corruption.
In a statement student demonstrators stated that “the current government has, over the past 13 years, actively undermined the integrity, reputation, independence, and apolitical nature of our army.”
Police cordons face off with protesters in Belgrade on September 20.
Police prevented the protestors getting near the parade. It was a mostly peaceful gathering, with minor scuffles before the crowd dispersed.
The government said the parade was to mark a national holiday — the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag.
“This is Serbia’s survival and victory, a Serbia that wants peace and prosperity, and knows how to preserve its dignity, territory, and future,” Vucic wrote on Instagram shortly after the parade ended.
Vucic has said Serbia must rearm. “Everyone is arming to the teeth. The region is also arming, and it is our duty not to fall behind,” he said in 2024. That year, Serbia spend some $2.2 billion on defense, some 2.6 percent of gross domestic product.
Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Serbia largely relied on Russian weaponry.
The purchase of Rafale fighter jets — agreed upon during a visit to Serbia by French President Emmanuel Macron in August 2024 — was seen by some experts as a strategic pivot by Serbia toward the West in defense matters.
But Vucic has continued to cultivate his multi-vector approach to foreign and defense policy, cultivating ties with both Moscow and China.
Along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he was in China earlier this month for celebrations marking the end of World War II that also included a massive military parade in Beijing.
Serbia also uses Chinese military equipment, such as CH-92A combat drones.
