Croatian Air Force pilot and partner arrested for alleged espionage in Kosovo, reports claim

Croatian authorities arrested an Air Force pilot and his partner over alleged espionage charges, accusing them of sharing classified information about Kosovo peacekeeping operations over a three-year period, Croatian media reported Wednesday.

The Croatian Air Force pilot, identified as JI, and his girlfriend AM, a Serbian citizen from Mitrovica in Kosovo, were detained on the Dalmatian island of Vis after prosecutors concluded they had sufficient evidence of their wrongdoing.

The helicopter pilot has denied the charges, claiming he was being framed while his partner was "collateral damage", according to Croatian news outlet Index.hr.

AM was initially held in a reception centre in Trilj, in the Split-Dalmatia County, over an expulsion order, but was then charged with espionage.

Prosecutors allege the pilot, who was deployed on a KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, provided classified information on KFOR units, movements in the north of Kosovo and the ethnic Serb-majority municipality of Zubin Potok between 2022 and 2025.

According to the allegations, AM passed this information on to the authorities in Belgrade.

Croatian Defence Ministry officials confirmed the pilot had passed all necessary security clearances. Colleagues described him as a "model professional," according to domestic press.

Individuals close to AM have flatly rejected the possibility of her involvement, stating she was not sympathetic to the government in Belgrade.

The Serbian embassy in Croatia told Euronews in a written response that no one has contacted their offices in relation to the alleged espionage affair, and that the only information they have on the matter comes from media reports.

"The embassy carries out its regular operations and activities," the statement said.

Croatian Parliament's National Security Committee members called the allegations serious and stated that the case requires parliamentary review.

"This is a serious security problem. We'll see what the investigation shows," said Arsen Bauk, chairman of the parliamentary committee.

"In times like these, the goal of all of us, all the parties is the security of all our citizens and our country, all our (peacekeeping) missions in countries where we participate," committee member Sandra Benčić said.

The relationship between the two neighbouring countries — both former Yugoslav republics — has become more tense in recent times, with Belgrade alleging Croatian citizens have taken an active part in ongoing protests in Serbia, which have recently turned violent.

Meanwhile Croatia, a NATO and EU member, signed a declaration on security cooperation with Kosovo and Albania in March.

Belgrade largely slammed the deal at the time, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić saying that Croatia and Albania — also a NATO member — were fueling an "arms race" in the region.

In an ensuing war of words, Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić responded by saying that the "time has passed when we asked Belgrade what we were going to do".

Serbian media have since reported that Vučić and his ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have held talks about a similar military agreement between the two nations.

Update: This article has been amended to include the response from the Serbian embassy in Croatia.