"Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned on Saturday that the possibility of an attack on Serbia could not be ruled out, citing escalating tensions between Russia and Europe linked to the conflict in Ukraine. Vucic made the remarks while visiting the Banjica military barracks in Belgrade, where he was joined by Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Chief of the General Staff Milan Mojsilovic for a ceremony marking the laying of the foundation stone for a new Ministry of Defence building. “We must not exclude the possibility of an attack on the territory of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian people,” Vucic said, citing “increasingly stronger and more significant preparations for a Europe-Russia conflict”. He claimed that certain countries had formed what he called “unnatural and indecent” military alliances that could pose a threat to Serbia. Vucic said Belgrade would continue strengthening its armed forces. “We will strengthen our tank, missile and artillery units, and above all, we will invest the most money and energy into creating new units that will have a special place in those optimised battalions and brigades,” he said. He added that Serbia was investing heavily in modernising its military capabilities, including unmanned systems, and suggested the scale of those efforts would exceed public expectations. “We are purchasing and continue to purchase,” Vucic said. “By the end of March, at the latest by the beginning of April, I expect the opening of the first major drone factory in our country.” Serbia, which is seeking membership of the European Union, has faced criticism from the bloc over its ties with Russia. Brussels has also urged Belgrade to halt the issuance of Serbian passports to Russian citizens, a condition included in the EU’s latest enlargement package."