Mojsilovic: Pristina's accusations insult the intelligence, Radoicic did not participate in the military exercise

Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilovic, denied today the allegations by Pristina that former Vice President of the Serb List, Milan Radoicic, had participated in military exercises at the Pasuljanske Livade training ground a few days before the conflict in Banjska.

"According to our records, Radoicic did not participate in the exercises at Pasuljanske Livade, he did not fire any bullets or grenades, nor did he attend the mentioned activities. He did not participate in or attend the training. He was called up for reserve exercises but did not respond to them," Mojsilovic said at the press conference.

He emphasized that such accusations from Pristina, claiming that the Serbian Army had trained "terrorists," insulted intelligence.

"The Serbian Army is a serious, strong organization that does not tolerate improvisations or lies. Accusations that the Serbian Armed Forces planned an incursion into Kosovo insult intelligence. From a military point of view, it is illogical to think that around 30 people and 4,500 engaged soldiers could do that," General Mojsilovic said.

The Chief of the General Staff stressed that comments on the number of Serbian Armed Forces in the administrative line zone with Kosovo were unnecessary because the Serbian Army had not increased its combat readiness level. Instead, its presence has been reinforced, which, he notes, raises concerns expressed by Brussels and Washington, which, he points out, was not the case earlier when there were more members of the Serbian Army in that zone.

"Due to the high level of concern about the condition of the Serbian Armed Forces' equipment and personnel, engaged in the zone of the administrative line and the directions leading from Kosovo and Metohija to central Serbia, I emphasize that, in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Commander, there has been no full combat readiness of the Serbian Armed Forces units, but only increased presence and engagement of units in the Ground Safety Zone and in the administrative line," Mojsilovic said at the press conference.

He stated that, after the outbreak of the security crisis, the Serbian Armed Forces, respecting and executing orders, had increased their presence in the Ground Safety Zone.

By September 25, 8,350 members of the Serbian Armed Forces were engaged, not only for securing the administrative line in the Ground Safety Zone but also in the units deployed near the administrative line.

"From a military point of view, all comments on the number of Serbian Armed Forces units are unnecessary," he emphasized.

Mojsilovic reminded that on two occasions, in December of last year and in May of this year, in similar crises, based on the orders of the Supreme Commander, President Aleksandar Vucic, the combat readiness of the army had been raised to the highest level, and at that time, 14,000 members of the Serbian Armed Forces had been engaged.

"In those two events, we did not bother, we did not disturb, and no one expressed concern about the number of forces along the administrative line, in the Ground Safety Zone. That is why today it is surprising when someone expresses concern about 8,350 members. We do not see a reason for that when there was no formal increase in combat readiness," General Mojsilovic said.

He added that as of today, 4,500 engaged members of the Serbian Armed Forces in the Ground Safety Zone had the capability to monitor, secure, and influence the security situation in Serbia.

"It is important to know that the operating regime of units in the Ground Safety Zone has returned to normal, meaning the regular numerical strength in the Ground Safety Zone," General Mojsilovic said.

He also explained that individuals from the reserve force in Kosovo were a part of the integral system for replenishing the reserve force of the Serbian Armed Forces and refuted all allegations from Pristina. He stated that the training of the reserve force, which applied to all citizens of Serbia aged 18 to 60, was conducted according to the plan, organized, and in accordance with the laws. As a special form of population training, reserve force training for everyone over 30 years who had not served military service was introduced in 2019.

"The right and obligation of all citizens of Serbia, including those in Kosovo and Metohija, is to participate in one-day or multi-day exercises and activities. In 2021, a total of 127 training activities were conducted, in 2022 - 147, and this year, so far, 131 such activities have been conducted," Mojsilovic reported.

He also noted that in the last three years, reserve force training had been implemented in all units of the Serbian Armed Forces, in all periods of the year, and at all training grounds and ranges of the Serbian Armed Forces.

General Mojsilovic added that individuals from the reserve force in Kosovo, specifically from Zubin Potok, Leposavic, Zvecan, Kosovska Mitrovica, and Kosovo Pomoravlje, have been included in regular training since 2021.

"For the past four years, we have been calling individuals from the reserve force in Kosovo to training, aware that they live and work in complex conditions, so we estimate that these are the reasons why we have a low response rate to military exercises in Kosovo and Metohija, which does not exceed 19 percent," he said.

We were not hiding anything, and nothing was secret, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces underlined.