Serbia Ministry of Defence denies security breach at Batajnica Air Base

The Serbian Ministry of Defence has stated that the operational capabilities and secure functioning of the Serbian Armed Forces were not compromised following the unauthorized entry of foreign YouTubers into the ‘Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlović’ military airport in Batajnica.

The Ministry clarified that the footage was recorded in a physically separated and partitioned section of the complex where no personnel or technical activities of the stationed units occur. This specific area has been partially opened to allow civilian companies access for preparatory earthworks and terrain landscaping for new infrastructure projects.

According to officials, the aircraft visible in the video are decommissioned and are not in active use by the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence. The Ministry noted that the individuals entered a restricted area despite warning signs, and criminal charges have been filed under Article 416 of the Serbian Criminal Code. The Ministry dismissed claims of a ‘raid on a military base’ as sensationalist media spin that does not reflect the actual situation on the ground.