In the Balkans, where security balances remain fragile and state actions are often interpreted beyond their actual weight, even small steps take on added significance. In this context, Kosovo’s planned production of ammunition is a limited move, but one with the potential to influence how the country is perceived in the field of defense.
Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, confirmed that the first ammunition factory in Kosovo will be built in Jahoc, Gjakova, with the first production expected at the end of 2026. And the activity will not stop there.
“This industrial zone will also serve other investors we are in contact with, and we will produce different types of military products—military and civilian drones ‘Made in Kosova’,” Kurti said on November 27.
The agreement for the factory was signed on December 16, 2024, between the Government of Kosovo and the Turkish state-owned manufacturer, MKE.
Radio Free Europe was unable to contact the company directly, but according to a statement it issued in October, Kosovo will be equipped with machinery for producing cartridges and bullets, a production and assembly line, a laboratory, and testing equipment. MKE personnel will also provide production services, maintenance, repairs, and technical assistance for Kosovar staff.
Contacted by Radio Free Europe, a NATO official in Brussels did not give a direct assessment of Kosovo’s announcement that it will begin ammunition production in 2026, nor did he specify the standards the country should follow. He only stated that “the NATO-led KFOR mission remains focused on implementing the UN mandate, maintaining a safe and secure environment for all residents of Kosovo at all times, impartially and in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU mission, EULEX.”
NATO has not supported the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into an army—a process expected to be completed in 2028. Kosovo authorities, including Kurti, say the process is developing according to NATO standards and that the weaponry purchased during the past four years—worth over 430 million euros, according to him—comes from alliance member states: the U.S., Turkey, Germany, and others.
“By strengthening the army, we secure the Republic. By raising the Kosovo Security Force, we strengthen our partnership with allies,” Kurti said.
Retired U.S. Colonel Ray Wojcik sees Kosovo’s decision to produce ammunition as a “fantastic initiative”—in line with NATO’s expectations that aspiring countries develop defense industrial capacities. In his view, Kosovo is starting this production at the right time: to bolster its still limited capabilities, respond to heightened security demands after the war in Ukraine, and increase regional cooperation with allies.
“One of the positive things for Kosovo, thanks to the long-standing presence of NATO’s KFOR mission, is its close relationship and continued cooperation with allies. Kosovo has discussed this initiative especially with the U.S. and the United Kingdom—two of its closest allies, who are strongly supportive,” Wojcik told Radio Free Europe’s program Expose.
Wojcik, who served as head of the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, also mentions the regional defense agreement between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia, which he says supports the initiative to produce ammunition in Kosovo.
Argyro Kartsonaki from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg agrees that it is logical for a small state to try to strengthen its security, but warns that such actions may be perceived as a threat by neighboring countries, potentially increasing tensions rather than reducing them.
“This will not change the security dynamics in the Balkans. What it can do, however, is fuel narratives. It can give another element to propaganda and to the populist discourse of Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić. If this is then exaggerated, it can create fear and perceived insecurity. And perceived fear is just as real as an actual threat. This is where the delicacy of this decision lies,” Kartsonaki told Expose.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has interpreted the defense agreement between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia as a sign of an arms race, stressing that Serbia “will successfully defend itself from any possible aggressor.”
In the same line, the head of the Serbian parliamentary Defense Committee, Milovan Drecun, has claimed that the Turkish ammunition factory in Kosovo undermines the security and position of Serbs in the country—but without presenting concrete evidence.
Serbia, meanwhile, remains the dominant military power in the region, with a defense budget significantly higher than that of Kosovo and other Western Balkan countries.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Kosovo allocated around $162 million for defense in 2024, while Serbia allocated around $2.2 billion.
Serbia also remains the region’s main exporter of weapons and ammunition, accounting for over 65% of total exports, according to the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC). It is followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and other regional countries such as North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro, which export everything from light ammunition to mines and rockets.
Colonel Wojcik says Kosovo must address Serbia’s perceptions by clearly communicating that its defense initiatives, including ammunition production, aim to meet NATO standards and serve as defensive tools—not as threats.
“It is an effort for regional stability, as it can act as a deterrent against aggressive Serbia, which has substantial weapons and ammunition production capacities. Therefore, for the very small amount of weapons or ammunition that Kosovo will produce, there is no reason for concern among Serbs,” Wojcik says.
The exact type and quantity of ammunition Kosovo aims to produce is not yet known, as much defense-related information is classified. In an earlier statement to Radio Free Europe, Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci—now in an acting role—said Kosovo cannot become fully self-sufficient, but can reduce its dependence on other countries by producing the ammunition and weaponry it uses most and that are hardest to procure.
Kartsonaki from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy says Kosovo, as a small country, cannot develop a large-scale defense industry without severely limiting its budget for other important areas.
“The issue is that you have a small state with high levels of poverty and unemployment. Is this really the best investment you can make? This is not Germany, which can produce weapons on a much larger scale while also having enough funds to cover social aspects of the state,” Kartsonaki says.
Colonel Wojcik emphasizes that Kosovo’s limited defense budget requires it to act with maximum caution, investing its resources wisely. He stresses the need for defense industry efforts to be closely coordinated with key allies and to avoid partnerships that could harm regional stability or alignment with the West.
To be effective, he says, the defense sector must operate according to international standards, including transparency, rule of law, and combating corruption.
“I think Kosovo has shown consistent results. The United States would not have provided assistance for so many years to Kosovo’s security if there were concerns about corruption in the Ministry of Defense. This is a good sign, and the effort to produce ammunition should follow the same model—overseen by NATO and key partners such as the U.S. and the U.K. Therefore, the risk of mismanagement is very low,” Wojcik says.
The United States maintains Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, the largest U.S. military base in the Balkans. NATO still has over 4,000 peacekeepers—mainly in the north of the country, where the most serious ethnic tensions since Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008 have occurred over the past two years.
The Kosovo Security Force is lightly armed, but since Kurti came to power in 2021, the defense budget has steadily increased.
Globally, revenues from the arms industry have also risen significantly during 2024—driven by high military spending due to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as regional and global geopolitical tensions. According to SIPRI, sales of arms and military services increased by 5.9 percent last year, reaching a record $679 billion.
In Colonel Wojcik’s words, ammunition production in Kosovo could also benefit NATO allies, including Ukraine. /RFE