(20 Sep 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++PART LIVE COMMENTARY++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Belgrade, Serbia – 20 September 2025
1. Various of the military walking with the Serbian flag
2. Tracking shot of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arriving on stage
3. Various of the army marching
4. Mid of crowd watching
5. Various of military vehicles in march
6. Mid of tanks rolling in the march
7. Rafale fighter jets flying over
8. Police on the streets with protesters standing in the background
9. Various of people and protesters on the street
10. Tracking shot of protesters on the street and police preventing them from passing
11. Various of police preventing protesters from passing
12. Various of protesters standing in front of police
13. Close of police officers
14. Woman waving in front of the police cordon
15. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Vesna Stojadinovic, protester:
"They can attend the parade and we ordinary people cannot, students actually. Students invited us, I am not a student, I am a pensioner and I support students, I support this movement, I support all this that can lead to a change for a better life. We have had enough with what’s going on and how we live.”
16. People sitting on the ground by the police
17. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Vladimir Stimac, former basketball player and activist:
”This is only for him (Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic) to show his power and dictatorship, nothing else. I feel sorry that these people and army have to put up with all this. I repeat, this is our army, we came today to greet them.”
18. Man standing and filming in front of the police cordon
19. Boy standing in front of the policeman with shield and waving
STORYLINE:
Serbia on Saturday staged a large-scale military parade in the capital Belgrade, showcasing tanks, missile systems and fighter jets in what officials described as the country’s biggest display of army strength in its history.
President Aleksandar Vucic reviewed the parade, which included about 10,000 troops, saying the show of force underscored Serbia’s ability to defend its independence and sovereignty and act as a deterrent against any foreign aggressor.
Serbia is mostly surrounded by NATO-member states.
Columns of troops marched through the New Belgrade district of the capital as crowds waved national flags, while aircraft roared overhead.
The event featured both domestically produced weapons as well as rocket launchers from Israel, drones purchased from the United Arab Emirates as well as tanks supplied by Russia and anti-aircraft systems from China, reflecting Belgrade’s close ties with Moscow and Beijing despite its declared goal of joining the European Union.
What caught most of the attention of military experts was the Israeli PULS system, a versatile rocket artillery platform capable of launching a range of munitions with varying ranges and payloads.
Its range is up to 300 kilometers (185 miles), meaning it can reach most of the Balkan capitals.
Another surprise appearance was a couple of the French air force’s Rafale fighter jets.
Serbia ordered 12 such multi-purpose aircraft that are due for delivery in the coming years.
Critics said the parade was designed less to showcase the strength of the military than to bolster Vucic’s populist rule that has been challenged by student-led protests and growing international scrutiny of his increasingly authoritarian grip on power.
“I support all this that can lead to a change for a better life. We have had enough with what’s going on and how we live,” said Vesna Stojadinovic, a protester.
AP video by Almir Alic
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