Illegal drone production has been discovered in Sarajevo. Following an inspection, it was determined that the Center for Advanced Technologies has been manufacturing drones, and six unmanned aerial vehicles were found. This was stated today after the session of the Council of Ministers by Staša Košarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers, who emphasized that this is a serious scandal.
Košarac said that the chief inspector at the Ministry of Foreign Trade was instructed to prepare a report and initiate proceedings before the competent authorities against those responsible for the illegal production of weapons.
While Republika Srpska and its leadership are persistently accused of provoking conflicts, drones are being produced illegally in Sarajevo, in the building of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, where the Public Institution Center for Advanced Technologies is located, according to the inspection conducted by the competent ministry. During the inspection, six operational drones were found.
“All drones are operational, meaning they are able to fly. They were tested at the Betanija site and at the Visoko sports airfield,” said Staša Košarac, Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers.
The inspection followed media reports about drone production, weapons “just in case,” and photo ops with rifles, where Zukan Helez was one of the most prominent figures. The Center for Advanced Technologies, established by Sarajevo Canton in August last year, signed an agreement with the Ministry of Defense worth 20 million marks for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.
“These drones are intended for use by the Ministry of Defense in the Council of Ministers, for reconnaissance, mapping, monitoring, and other purposes. The Center for Advanced Technologies does not have permission from the federal institutions. Once a solution is issued, whether for trade or production, they are required to register with the ministry, which they failed to do because they have no license, yet they produced six drones. This is illegal production and a serious scandal in the Federation of BiH,” Košarac added.
Under the guise of technological advancement, it has apparently long been concealed that drones are being produced in Sarajevo—drones that are key to modern warfare, as shown by the conflict in Ukraine. Republika Srpska expects an adequate response from judicial institutions, otherwise, this serious security issue could escalate.
“An unprecedented scandal, illegal weapons production in the heart of the Federation, a publicly funded institution producing drones without any licenses, all under an agreement with the Ministry of Defense. The key question is: why is BiH arming itself, who approved it, and for what purpose?” said Sanja Vulić, member of the Joint Committee on Defense and Security of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
Minister of Defense Zukan Helez feigned ignorance, claiming he was not aware that drones were being produced at the Sarajevo Center for Advanced Technologies, but admitted he knows which companies in the Federation manufacture and export them. However, Staša Košarac stated that the federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry never provided, despite requests, information on which companies are licensed to produce drones.
Source: RTRS
