Chinese robots in the Serbian Army

"Thousands of armed robots" in the military sense seem more like a marketing message than a real plan, says Radio Free Europe Nikola Llunic, consultant in the field of geopolitics and security in Belgrade.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warned in early February that Serbia will have "thousands of armed robots" from China at the next military parade in 2026.

In this way, according to him, the state will be even more secure.

"But, for all this, I have to pray to the President of China, Xi Jinping, and I hope that as a friend of Serbia, he will help us," Vučić said on February 2.

That day, he was also greeted by Luka, a Chinese humanoid robot, which was presented by the companies Minth Group and AGIBOT Innovation at the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade.

AGIBOT - a company founded in 2023 in Shanghai - deals with the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics, with the aim of producing general-purpose robots that can learn and adapt for mass and commercial use.

In addition to the goal of starting the production of these robots in Serbia in 2026, Vučić also mentioned the possibility of purchasing armed robots from China.

But, so far, no other state institution has confirmed or commented on these statements.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense did not respond to Radio Free Europe's questions about whether there is a concrete plan to purchase armed robots from China for the Serbian Army, or whether it has been consulted about this idea.

Llunic says that modern armies do not yet have armed humanoid robots that are operational in the field.

He adds that Chinese experience shows that Chinese humanoid robots are mainly used for surveillance and logistics and do not replace soldiers in combat.

The Serbian army already uses Chinese weaponry - from combat drones to the FK-3 anti-aircraft missile system.

Military cooperation between Belgrade and Beijing is developing without obstacles, despite warnings from Brussels and Washington.

How much would it cost Serbia to buy robots from China?

Llunic estimates that the purchase of humanoid robots for the needs of the Serbian Army would be a huge financial and operational burden for the country.

"According to existing Chinese contracts, 500 industrial humanoid robots have cost about $37 million, which means about $74.000 per robot. If Serbia were to order 'thousands' of robots, the costs would reach hundreds of millions of dollars, which would be a huge blow to the budget," explains Llunic.

He adds that to this must be added the costs of maintaining and integrating these systems, which require specialized staff, logistics, and frequent software updates.

"This would pose a serious challenge for a relatively small army with limited technological capabilities," says Llunic.

What military robots does China use?

At the military parade in Beijing on September 3, which Vučić also attended, so-called armed "wolf robots" were presented.

These robots are capable of maneuvering and operating in complex terrain. They can transport weapons for soldiers and help clear the terrain of mines.

In November 2025, Chinese state television broadcast footage from a military exercise where, in addition to other weapons, "wolf robots" were used in a simulated combat scenario.

On November 25, the South China Morning Post reported that Chinese company UBTech Robotics won a contract worth $37 million to deploy humanoid robots along the border with Vietnam.

The Walker S2 humanoid robot, introduced in July 2025, is considered the first robot in the world that can change its own batteries, without human intervention.

In February 2026, at the World Armaments Fair in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a Chinese manufacturer introduced the PF-070 anti-tank system.

It is a four-legged combat robot, equipped with missiles and designed for field combat operations.

According to the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index, published by the British organization Oxford Insights in collaboration with the International Center for Development Research, based in Canada, China ranks eighth in the world.

The list is topped by the United States of America, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Finland, Canada and France, while Serbia ranks 57th among 193 countries.

What are Serbia's chances of new arms purchases from China?

Vučić, after attending the military parade in Beijing on September 3, stated that he had seen "what would be interesting to purchase for the needs of the Serbian Army."

He said that Serbian officials have held talks with representatives of more than ten Chinese military companies, but did not provide further details on concrete agreements or specific systems.

Three months later, after a meeting of the National Security Council, Vučić announced that Serbia aims to double its military capabilities in the coming period, signaling the possibility of new investments in weaponry and military technology.

"Apart from human resources, which we will increase by 30 percent, we will increase everything else by 100 percent. Part of the resources are from the country, while the rest we buy abroad. This is the only factor that stops threats. We must rely on ourselves," Vučić said on January 4.

He did not specify what weapons and military equipment Serbia will purchase abroad. He also did not indicate against whom Serbia should defend itself.

What and how many weapons does Serbia import from China?

The strong friendship between Serbia and China, which is mainly reflected in infrastructure projects through the "Belt and Road" initiative, gained momentum in 2020, when the Serbian Army introduced Chinese CH92-A drones.

This was the first purchase of Chinese weapons, which entered the combat composition of the Serbian Army, and Serbia became the first European country to import Chinese aviation equipment.

Over the years, the purchase of CH-95 combat drones and FK-3 and HQ-17 anti-aircraft systems followed.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), from 2020 to 2024, Serbia imported the most weapons from China (57 percent), followed by Russia (20 percent) and France (7.4 percent).

In the last two years, the Serbian defense industry imported goods worth about 240 million euros from China, according to customs data provided by Radio Free Europe.

What could be the consequences?

The deterioration of Belgrade-Brussels and Belgrade-Washington relations is, according to Llunić, an inevitable consequence if Serbia continues with its arms purchases from China.

"Diplomatic notes will definitely come from Brussels about Serbia's undesirable cooperation with China, while from Washington they will demand evidence of Serbia's commitment to improving bilateral relations with the United States," says Llunic.

If Belgrade ignores these warnings, he does not rule out the possibility of "some kind of sanctions."

The European Union and the United States have repeatedly warned Serbian officials about the dangers of deepening military cooperation with China. However, no concrete measures have been taken so far.