Wrote: Endrit Berisha
It has been claimed that 33 "BMC Vuran" military vehicles have arrived at the Kosovo Security Force barracks from Turkey.
The claim was made by the Facebook page "Diaspora me Albinin" through a post published on Sunday (May 12).
However, after searching hibrid.info, it turns out that there is no official announcement from institutions about the number of this type of weapons that the KSF possesses and that the content is unverified.
Link to the post on the page "Diaspora with Albin":
Post content:
"BMC Vuran, which has a 120mm caliber artillery system mounted, the same as a German tank shell. 33 such vehicles have arrived at the KSF barracks. Kurti Government for a state with an army, complete security and sovereignty throughout the country's territory"
As of this writing, this post has received more than 700 likes, 40 comments, and 16 shares. The post uses a photo that has been circulating in Turkish-language media since 2017. (see here)
Similar posts have also been published by other Facebook pages "My Prishtina" and "Pasqyra". (see here and here)
What is known so far about the supply of these vehicles?
In July 2021, “evropaelire.org” wrote in sources that Kosovo has signed a contract with Turkey for the purchase of 14 armored military vehicles of the “Vuran” and “KIRPI” types. (see here)
Meanwhile, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that the first export of Turkish armored vehicles of the “Vuran 4X4” type, produced in cooperation with defense firms in Turkey, will arrive in Kosovo. According to the 2021 report, the vehicle will be equipped with the 120-millimeter “Alkar” mortar system of the “Aselsan” company. (see here)
Just a month earlier (April 2024), the Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, in an interview for "anadolu" confirmed that the KSF's inventory includes "Vuran" vehicles with an integrated 120-millimeter mortar armament system. However, he did not mention figures. (see here)
The issue of the "BMC Vuran" vehicles has been updated after the Kosovo Security Force conducted training at the military training ground in Biza, Albania, together with instructors from this company from Turkey.
"This exercise was a combination of direct and indirect fire, interaction with artillery weapons and Vuran combat vehicles. The purpose of this exercise is to increase the combat capabilities of the KSF, interoperability between armies, exchange of experiences with the aim of maintaining global peace and security," Minister Maqedonci wrote on May 10 on Facebook. (see here)
Analyze:
Through a Facebook post, the page "Diaspora with Albin" has claimed without evidence that 33 "BMC Vuran" military vehicles have arrived at the Kosovo Security Force barracks from Turkey. Furthermore, the post contains old photographs used in the media in Turkey 7 years ago.
So far, security institutions have not announced the number of such vehicles that the KSF possesses, while in 2021, it was reported that Kosovo would purchase 14 armored vehicles from Turkey.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as, "Unverified Content".
Reasoning:
The “Unverified” rating is given to those media reports that do not provide sufficient information to confirm the claims made in the report, and which have not been able to confirm the same due to the lack or non-possession of reliable sources.