Increased number of Serbian soldiers in the Helbruk combat group, which includes members from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Ukraine and Serbia

The Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs adopted today the Government’s proposal on amendments to the Decision on the use of the Serbian Armed Forces and other defense forces, which foresees that the number of personnel in international missions will increase from the current 700 to 800.

The increase refers to the participation of the European Union’s battlegroups for crisis management, for which one Military Police platoon would be used, with accompanying officers and logistics.

Serbia has been participating in this process since 2015, and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Nemanja Starović, explained that in that “Helbrook battle group”, which consists of members of the armies of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Ukraine and Serbia, one can always give up and withdraw their members if it is estimated that this engagement is not in accordance with state and national interests.

He stated that it is necessary to have a Military Police unit that would be ready to go to the crisis area within five to 10 days.

The board also adopted a proposal for the engagement of the Serbian Armed Forces in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mozambique, where, as stated, “up to two officers” of the Armed Forces would go.