On Wednesday, Serbia stated that investigations conducted by Russian intelligence officials dismissed the allegations made by demonstrators claiming they had been hit by a “sonic weapon.”
Officers from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) determined that no acoustic devices were employed to forcefully break up the large protest held on March 15 in Belgrade, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The demonstration—the largest against corruption since a fatal train station roofing accident occurred last year, igniting nationwide protests—had attracted anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 participants.
However, it turned chaotic when an unidentified sound caused widespread alarm and led to thousands of demonstrators scattering.
Participants and activists accused the government of using a “sound cannon” or other sonic weapon, and media published photos of a police vehicle equipped with what appeared to be a U.S.-made LRAD 450XL long-range acoustic device.
While Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed that Serbian police possess such equipment, he denied it was used at the protest.
The Serbian government extended invitations to both the United States’ FBI and Russia’s FSB to conduct an investigation.
Although the FBI hasn’t addressed the request, which was signed by Serbia’s Interior Ministry on March 18, the FSB reacted by dispatching a delegation in late March.
Vucic said in a press conference on Wednesday that the FSB report showed there was a “lie about the use of a sound cannon” and he threatened legal action over allegations that one was used.
Civil society organizations from Serbia mention that they collected more than 3,000 statements where individuals who were present during the protests recounted hearing sounds similar to a collapsing aircraft or an approaching vehicle. A number of these people claimed experiencing ongoing health issues as a result.
A week ago, activists presented a petition bearing more than 500,000 signatures at the UN office in Belgrade, calling for an international inquiry.
The protest movement initiated by students started following a tragic roof collapse at the Novi Sad train station on November 1, 2024, resulting in 16 fatalities.
The tragedy, widely seen as a symbol of state corruption, has sparked Serbia’s biggest unrest since the 1990s.
