Yesterday, the first shipment of 50 of those systems arrived to Priština as part of a late February arrangement between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti.
According to available information, over the following months the United Kingdom will deliver at least 20 “Javelin” light anti-tank systems to Priština. As uncovered, free training in the use of this arsenal was also arranged for the Kosovo security forces. As yet, there is no confirmation that the Priština-London arrangement does not include more weaponry or military equipment.

This weapons shipment arrives at an extremely precarious political and security moment in the whole Europe, as well as the Balkans region. The Priština authorities, which are in the process of establishing their armed forces, have been asking Western countries for some time to sell them anti-tank and artillery systems, and United Kingdom was the first to take the dangerous step of providing arms to an unrecognized state.

Adding to the absurdity, Priština received these weapons amid a several-day campaign it has launched against Belgrade — due to receiving a shipment of weapons agreed on, ordered and paid for years before the Ukraine conflict. Kurti himself, aided by the President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, led a public campaign of accusing Serbia of allegedly accumulating weapons. To justify the barrage of accusations, Kurti called upon the alleged fear by Belgrade that pushing Russia out of Europe will leave Serbia alone. This campaign was caused by unsubstantiated news of the delivery of a Chinese FK-3 ground-to-air system to the Serbian Armed Forces, which is a defensive system not posing a threat to anyone engaged in peaceful politics.

As of yesterday, Priština counts with new generation anti-tank missiles, which are fired from light shoulder-held launchers. The “Javelin” has been characterized by many as an anti-aircraft ground-to-air system, able to successfully hit low-flying objectives. Both of these systems are extemely efficient, easy to use, and requiring only minimal and brief training. The British missiles are being used in large quantities in the Ukraine conflict, where they are performing excellently, at least according to the Western media.

The weapons newly arrived in Priština will undoubtedly find their way to the units of the so-called Kosovo Armed Forces, being assembled in Priština in breach of the UN Resolution no. 1244, which calls for a military presence in the region exclusively based on the Security Council mandate. Priština openly announced that the process of assembling these Armed Forces will be finalized by 2028 at the latest. The British missiles are the first significant weapons to arrive to Kosovo, but there are rumors of purchases of drones, cannons, and even helicopters. The United States and United Kingdom are Priština’s undisguised allies in this matter, and the duty stations for providing the weapons are Germany and Turkey.