Government
Nufi: AAT has not started making weapons in Albania; “Combat Proven” does not mean “Made in Albania”
The defense minister responds to Syri TV's “Plug” program, which raises suspicions about the company in which KAYO holds a 20% stake. “If you accuse, prove it!” he tells its authors.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 29, 2026, 10:45 · Updated 18:44 · 2 min read
In brief
- Nufi says the AAT project is still in the design phase and that the company has made no export or re-export of weapons.
- The “Plug” investigation, also published by BalkanWeb, alleges that the minimum investment of 50 million euros exists only on paper.
- The minister warns that unproven accusations could drive investors away and hurt families in the Rubik and Mirdita area.
Defense Minister Ermal Nufi said the company AAT (Advanced Arms Technology) has not yet started any arms production in Albania. He responded on social media after an episode of the “Plug” program on Syri TV that raised allegations of arms trafficking linked to the project.
What the minister says
According to Nufi, KAYO is a state-owned company, and under the industrial cooperation model the state provides its contribution while the private partner brings the investment, technology, intellectual property and business plan. The project, he said, is still in the design phase and preparing its technical infrastructure, and AAT has carried out no export, packaging or re-export of weapons. “Combat Proven” does not mean “Made in Albania,” the minister wrote, explaining that the term refers to the partner's technology.
“If you accuse, prove it!” Nufi told the authors, asking where the weapons, shipments, transport documents and destinations are. He said his statements in Parliament had been taken out of context and warned that a campaign of unproven accusations could drive investors away and hurt families in the Rubik and Mirdita area.
The investigation's claims
The “Plug” investigation, also published by BalkanWeb, alleges that AAT was set up at the end of 2025 with 80% of its shares owned by UNO18, which the program links to Israeli businessman Ron Yeffet, and 20% owned by KAYO. According to the program, the government decision required a minimum investment of 50 million euros with no deadline, the company has only two employees, and its license covers the trade, storage and transport of military goods, not production. AAT had not responded by the time the investigation was published.
