Serbia is facing renewed criticism over efforts to glorify its military past while ignoring war crimes committed in Kosovo. The latest controversy surrounds a documentary promoted by Serbia’s Ministry of Defence about the “Prishtina Corps,” a Serbian military formation whose commanders were convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
The documentary, titled “The Prishtina Corps: The Homeland Commands Us,” premiered in Niš in the presence of senior Serbian officials and former corps commander Vladimir Lazarević, who was convicted of war crimes committed in Kosovo.
Serbia’s Ministry of Defence presented the film as a tribute to the heroism and sacrifice of Serbian soldiers. Defence Minister Bratislav Gašić, meanwhile, accused the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UÇK) of being a terrorist organization.
Security experts in Kosovo see the production as part of a broader effort to reshape the narrative of the 1998–1999 war, glorify Serbian military operations and leave crimes against Kosovo’s civilian population out of the picture.
“This demonstrates the hypocrisy of Serbian politics and the propaganda used to influence public opinion,” security expert Nuredin Ibishi told RTK, arguing that Serbia is attempting to portray its military campaign in Kosovo as heroic despite its failure to achieve its objectives.
Arben Fetoshi of the Octopus Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies warned that Serbia’s nationalist discourse requires a clear response from Western governments, particularly the European Union. He argued that Belgrade continues to benefit from Western funding while strengthening its ties with Russia.
Produced by the military film centre Zastava Film, the documentary presents the Pristina Corps primarily through the Serbian military perspective, without addressing crimes and massacres committed against Kosovo’s civilian population. Another Serbian production about the Battle of Košare has also faced criticism over its portrayal of the war.
A military documentary cannot erase court verdicts, victims or historical responsibility. When Serbia celebrates commanders convicted of war crimes while continuing to attack the KLA, will the EU finally demand accountability instead of allowing nationalist revisionism to go unanswered?
