It is essential that any activity in Kosovo's airspace be conducted in proper coordination with NATO's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, to prevent tensions and guarantee security, an official from the Western military alliance told Radio Free Europe.

Kosovo authorities announced on October 8 that they had received "thousands" of combat drones from Turkey, prompting strong reactions from northern neighbor Serbia.

The NATO official praised Turkey as a long-standing contributor to the mission it leads in Kosovo, KFOR, and to regional stability.

But he did not want to answer REL's question about under what circumstances Kosovo could be allowed to use these drones, knowing that only the NATO-led mission has authority over its airspace. "KFOR regularly monitors Kosovo's airspace, using all means and resources at its disposal, in accordance with its existing authority and mandate, under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999," the NATO official said.

He stressed that KFOR remains "closely involved in this important issue and is in close contact with Kosovo security organizations and the Serbian armed forces, to this end."

KFOR is also the third security responder in Kosovo, after the Kosovo Police and the European Union rule of law mission, EULEX.

The NATO mission, among other things, is responsible for security on the border between Kosovo and Serbia.

NATO increased its presence in Kosovo during 2023, following rising tensions in the Serb-majority north, and now has 4.649 peacekeepers from 33 countries.

"Kosovo must have the capacity to defend itself"

The Director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS), Mentor Vrajolli, told Radio Free Europe that, despite Kosovo not having authority over its own airspace, it must develop its defense capabilities.

"This is a kind of arms race that is taking place in the region, where I think it is expected that Kosovo will react in such a race, because its territorial security is being openly violated by a neighboring state," said Vrajolli, referring to claims by Kosovo officials of drone violations by Serbia.

Kosovo officials said in late September that Kosovo airspace had been violated by suspected Serbian drones. But they did not provide details about the claims, or when exactly the alleged drone violations occurred. KFOR, on the other hand, told Radio Free Europe on September 26 that it had not observed any drone incursions from outside Kosovo that could affect the security of the entire country.

Vrajolli told REL that this Kosovo investment is not "outside the regional and global context," also considering the alleged violations with Russian drones in Eastern Europe in recent weeks.

"These are defensive drones, so if someone comes and attacks Kosovo, these drones are used for such actions, and they have no intention of entering anyone's territory to carry out various operations," he added.

He believes that Kosovo's purpose is to protect and not to target any country.

"KFOR is not a very large body and this mission does not necessarily have the most advanced technology, because Kosovo is not yet seen by NATO as a place of direct danger... Therefore, Kosovo institutions must increase their capacity to combat these drones."

He added: "Kosovo has a much greater need to develop technology that detects and deactivates these drones, because Kosovo could also face terrorist attacks with drones, and I really don't know how much capacity we have to deal with such threats."

Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovo's independence, accused Turkey - one of NATO's most powerful members - of "dreaming of reviving the Ottoman Empire." Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he was appalled by Turkey's behavior and claimed it had violated the United Nations Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

"It is now completely clear that Turkey does not want stability in the Western Balkans and is dreaming again of the revival of the Ottoman Empire. Serbia is a small state, but we understand their real intentions," the Serbian president said in a post on X.

Later, the Serbian Ministry of Defense said that, after the Turkish drones were sent to Kosovo, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army, General Milan Mojsilović, had an urgent telephone conversation with the Commander of KFOR, Major General Ozkan Ulutas.

The press release stated that during the conversation with the KFOR commander, Mojsilović expressed strong protest against the "continued armament of Kosovo".

What is the Skydagger RTF drone?

Kosovo received Skydagger RTF 7 and Skydagger RTF 15 drones, according to country officials. They said they received “thousands” of them, without specifying exactly how many.

Vranjolli said that the Skydagger RTF drones are not offensive drones, but defensive ones, and that Kosovo has acquired these drones for defense, and the defense sector is "hypothetical."

"We hope that we will not need to use these drones, because these are destructive drones, but if Kosovo were to face an external attack, then Kosovo must have the capacity to defend itself," he said.

The Skydagger RTF is a "ready-to-fly" drone equipped with an explosive device for use against stationary and moving targets, although it also has professional applications such as surveillance and search and rescue.

RTF means that the drone is fully assembled and includes all the necessary components, such as the drone itself: a radio transmitter, a receiver, and batteries, making it ready to fly immediately upon purchase.

The Skydagger RTF 7 drone can fly at a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour, at a maximum distance of up to 10 kilometers, similar to the RTF 15.

But, loaded with a maximum of 2 kilograms, this RTF 7 drone can fly for a maximum of 12 minutes, while without a load, 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Skydagger RTF 15 drone can fly for a maximum of 14 minutes with a maximum load of 5 kilograms, while without a load, 36 minutes.

What other equipment does Kosovo possess?

In August of this year, the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) - which is in the process of transforming into an army - was also equipped with armored vehicles, purchased from the United States.

Last year, it submitted a request to purchase 200 more Javelin anti-tank missiles, and is now in the process of making payment.

Kosovo has also purchased a fleet of Turkish drones, Bayraktar, in 2023. In 2018, Humvee-type military vehicles also arrived in Kosovo from the United States.

The Kosovo government, at that time, signed a contract with the American company AM General for the purchase of 51 vehicles of this type.

Two years later, Kosovo purchased other military vehicles from the US, while in 2021, the US Government donated 55 ASV (Armored Security Vehicles) vehicles to Kosovo. In recent years, the Government of Kosovo has increased the budget for the defense sector - this year it has reached 207.8 million euros.

The KSF trains continuously at American and European bases, and also participates in multinational exercises such as "Defender Europe".

At the end of last year, Kosovo also signed an agreement with Turkey to build its first ammunition factory.Radio Free Europe/

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