An Israeli lawyer who represents Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been appointed as one of the directors of a Serbian company involved in the newly opened assembly facility for Israeli-made drones near Belgrade, investigative outlet BIRN reported.
The facility was opened on September 17 in cooperation with Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Avivit Bar-Ilan attending the ceremony.
According to BIRN, however, the company operating the facility in Serbia is registered as SDS Technologies, whose owner is the London-based company CUPA Limited.
BIRN reported that SDS Technologies appeared in Serbia’s business registry only hours after the drone assembly facility was officially opened. The company was reportedly not newly established, but was previously registered under the name CUPA Enterprises, with its original business activity listed as satellite telecommunications.
Ownership structure differs from announced 50–50 model
BIRN also examined the ownership structure of SDS Technologies, reporting that the company is currently owned by CUPA Limited, a London-based firm majority-owned by Greek national Atanasios Ramos.
The ownership structure therefore does not currently reflect the 50–50 Serbian-Israeli ownership model previously announced by Vučić, according to BIRN.
On the day the facility opened, two new directors were appointed to SDS Technologies. One of them was Zion Amir, a prominent Israeli criminal-defense lawyer who also represents Netanyahu before Israel’s Supreme Court.
BIRN said it had visited the facility several months earlier based on information from two independent sources. At the time, however, it had no evidence confirming that the site would become an Israeli drone assembly facility. The name “SDS Technologies” was displayed at the entrance, although the company could not then be found under that name in Serbia’s business registry.
Facility opened amid secrecy concerns
Vučić officially opened the facility on September 17 after several delays. He said the plant would employ around 100 people and produce advanced drones and related equipment for the Serbian Armed Forces as well as the armed forces of other countries.
The opening ceremony was held without journalists present. Vučić said the decision to limit media access was linked to the confidential nature of the production.
The Israeli Embassy in Serbia also confirmed the cooperation, describing the opening as an important event marking collaboration between Serbia’s domestic defense industry and Elbit Systems.
BIRN’s reporting raises questions about the corporate structure behind the facility, the ownership arrangements and the role of senior individuals involved in the newly established company.
