![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13747211-scaled-e1776172553378-1280x747.jpg\")
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a press conference in Belgrade, February 2026. Photo: EPA\/ANDREJ CUKIC.<\/p>\nSerbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a press conference in Belgrade, February 2026. Photo: EPA\/ANDREJ CUKIC.<\/p>\n
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, answering a journalist\u2019s question on Tuesday about last week\u2019s BIRN\/Haaretz investigation on Serbia\u2019s plans to produce drones<\/a> with the Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems, said that he is proud of the partnership.<\/p>\n \u201cAre they praising me or criticising me? Well, I think they\u2019re praising me, because we don\u2019t know how to make drones like Israel does, and I\u2019m proud of that. We will do it together, it will be 50-50 per cent, and that shows we will have the best drones in this part of the world,\u201d Vucic said.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for the kind words to me and let them continue their work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n President Vucic also said that he is proud of Serbia\u2019s arms export to Israel, an issue BIRN and Haaretz have reported on extensively in the last two years.<\/p>\n The president used the opportunity to mock investigative media outlets. \u201cWhat I find funniest is when BIRN and CINS [Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia] supposedly \u2018catch\u2019 me and say: here\u2019s one export flight that went to Israel today, or somewhere else,\u201d Vucic said. \u201cJust one? I hope there will be three, then three the next day, and like that every day, because that speaks about our success and shows how smart we are in securing our country\u2019s defence and security systems, and we will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, everything they criticise me for is true, they are right about everything. We are doing everything they think we are, and much more, and we will continue,\u201d Vucic said.<\/p>\n BIRN and Haaretz published a story<\/a> last week about a planned drone factory in Serbia that will be co-owned by top Israeli arms company Elbit Systems and Serbia\u2019s main state-owned import-export company, SDPR \u2013 with the Israeli partner having a majority stake of 51 per cent.<\/p>\n According to official documents obtained by BIRN\/Haaretz and two independent sources, Elbit and SDPR plan to produce two types of drones for short- and long-range missions.<\/p>\n Elbit becomes major partner<\/p>\n Early last year, Elbit Systems sold Serbia advanced artillery systems and drones worth $335 million<\/a>. In August 2025, another deal valued at $1.6 billion was signed for the delivery of drones, long-range missiles, electronic warfare systems and other military equipment to Belgrade.<\/p>\n The same month, BIRN reported<\/a> that the Belgrade-based company Edepro \u2013 which describes itself as a \u201cregional leader in propulsion system solutions\u201d for rockets, drones, and missiles \u2013 had exported goods to IMI Systems, which has been owned by Elbit Systems since 2018.<\/p>\n Elbit Systems is Israel\u2019s number one defence contractor<\/a>, however, it has long been criticised for its role in Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n In a June 2025 report, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese named Elbit Systems among a number of companies profiting from \u201cthe ongoing genocide\u201d in Gaza, where more than 70,000 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations since the October 2023 attack on Israel by the militant group Hamas.<\/p>\n Its role in Gaza has raised concerns internationally. AFP reported that Spain cancelled a 700 million euro deal<\/a> for Elbit rocket systems after banning military trade with Israel over Gaza.<\/p>\n