Vučić visits Mine-Clearing Center: "Unexploded bombs and rockets remain a problem at more than 150 locations"

“The Mine Action Center has implemented 299 demining projects, clearing a total area of more than 64 million square meters and destroying more than 54,000 mines and explosive remnants of war. In accordance with its mandate, the Mine Action Center, in addition to preparing project documentation, conducts quality control and issues demining certificates.”

Projects carried out with U.S. support have so far been implemented in 17 municipalities, while the Center is also actively working on the development of the Information and Education Park.

“The total area cleared of contamination exceeds 13 million square meters. Through these projects, a total of 5,347 different explosive ordnance items were found and destroyed. The chart shows completed projects by type of contamination: cluster munitions, mines and various types of unexploded ordnance (UXO). These are measurable results that directly contribute to improving the economic and social life of affected communities. They represent a concrete contribution to supporting the humanitarian demining process in Serbia.

We currently have two UXO clearance projects underway in the municipality of Rakovica. During the 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a military storage facility in Rakovica was hit, causing ordnance from the facility to be scattered across the surrounding land.”

“Unexploded ammunition and other munitions were scattered across the site as a result of the bombing and subsequent fires and remain buried in the ground. During the construction of homes in the area, residents frequently reported finding unexploded ordnance. According to estimates, the contaminated area in the municipality of Rakovica covered approximately 182 hectares”.

“The Mine Action Center prepared clearance projects and divided the area into five projects. In 2026, tender procedures for financing three projects were completed, two of which are already underway.”

Tour of the Training Ground

Vučić then toured the training ground and was briefed on the work of deminers.

“I’m glad that Kopaonik has been cleared,” Vučić said during the tour, pointing to the continuing problem posed by aircraft bombs and the need for demining in Rakovica.

He met and shook hands with the deminers and examined explosive ordnance that had been found in the Belgrade municipality of Rakovica while residents were building private homes.

Vučić asked whether there had been any workplace injuries, and was told there had not.

The deminers told him that their safety was their top priority and that the most important thing was for them to return home safely to their families.

“It is important that Kopaonik has been cleared. We must also completely clear Bujanovac,” Vučić said.