Ratko Mladić's body to arrive in Serbia, Vučić says security is priority
Vučić says the transfer will require a complex security operation and refers questions about the funeral to the family.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on September 3, 2026 that the body of Ratko Mladić, who died in The Hague, is expected to arrive in Serbia in the late afternoon.
Vučić stressed that the priority for authorities is to ensure the transfer and burial proceed without incident and described the task facing security services as complex. He told reporters: "Our services face a very difficult and complex task. The security assessments of the BIA and other services range in the tens of thousands of people, so security is a priority," the Serbian president said.
Security assessments and preparations
The president declined to give details about funeral arrangements and referred questions to Mladić’s family. Authorities have not published a timetable or a public programme for the burial.
Estimates prepared by security agencies and the Ministry of Interior indicate that tens of thousands of people could attend the funeral, which Vučić said is one reason securing the event will be especially demanding given the cemetery’s location and the planned burial site.
He said the estimates were drawn up by the Security-Information Agency (BIA), the Military Security Agency, the Military Intelligence Agency and the Ministry of Interior. Mladić was convicted of war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Authorities said their priority is to manage the operation safely and to minimise risks as the body is returned to Serbia and the funeral takes place.
Photo: press material from the event
