Joint tactical exercise with combat shooting 'Lightning strike 2021' with 2,300 Serbian Army members was held on Sunday at the 'Pester' training ground near Sjenica in presence of the senior state and military leadership of Serbia, the diplomatic corps and the KFOR commander in Kosovo as well as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik.

“We are happy to see Serbia's power, we need that. We enjoy that. That is causing the others to humiliate it but the efforts we saw are discouraging for all those who think that Serbia is easy prey,” said Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite Presidency.

The exercise was carried out by the units of the Air Force and Air Defence, 72nd Special Operations Brigade and 63rd Parachute Brigade, who used tanks, combat vehicles, artillery systems and weapons, airplanes, helicopters, remotely piloted aircraft, air defense systems and weapons.

Addressing the event, President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated those who took part on the “fantastically conducted exercise.”

“The power of our Army will increase in the next nine months and that also shows the economic power of the state,” said Vucic, who announced the purchase of new military equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles.

He stressed that Serbia is not interested in wars or conflicts but is strengthening its army for defence. He thanked the KFOR commander for attending the event.