Russia blasts Slavic ally Serbia for supplying arms to Ukraine

Fog covers the city skyline at morning in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BELGRADE, Serbia — Russia on Thursday accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine, saying it’s a stab in the back by its longtime Slavic Balkan ally.

“Serbian defense enterprises, contrary to the `neutrality’ declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv,” the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, SVR, said in a statement.

The statement alleged that the export of the Serbian arms to Ukraine are going through NATO intermediaries, “primarily the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria. Recently, exotic options involving African states have also been used for this purpose.”

Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic told the state RTS television that he has recently discussed the issue of the arm exports to Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that it was agreed that the two countries form a “working group” to establish how Serbian-made weapons reach the Ukrainian frontlines.

Serbian arms exports to Ukraine, mostly the Soviet-era-caliber ammunition still used by Ukraine’s defense forces, have long been known since 2023, but it’s not clear why the Russian foreign security service decided to react now.

In March, Serbia denied it exported arms to Ukraine after Moscow demanded to know if it had delivered thousands of rockets for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

The SVR statement said the arms sales are being carried out through a “simple scheme using fake end-user certificates and intermediary countries” serving as “a cover for anti-Russian actions.”

It added: “The contribution of Serbian defense industry workers to the war unleashed by the West, the outcome of which Europe would like to see as a `strategic defeat’ of Russia, amounts to hundreds of thousands of shells ... as well as a million rounds of ammunition for small arms.

“It is unlikely that such supplies can be justified by `humanitarian considerations.’ They have one obvious purpose -- to kill and maim Russian military personnel and the civilian population of Russia.

“It seems that the desire of Serbian defense industry workers and their patrons to profit from the blood of fraternal Slavic peoples has made them completely forget who their real friends are and who their enemies are.”

The attacks on Serbia from the East and West “are frequent because it leads autonomous and independent policies,” Vucic said.

Although claiming he wants Serbia to join the European Union, Vucic has maintained close relations with Russia. He defied EU warnings and attended Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9. EU officials said that it was inappropriate for Vucic to stand side by side with Putin, considering Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Vucic has said his decision to attend the parade, which marked the World War II victory over Nazi Germany, was part of efforts to maintain “traditional friendships” -- Russia is a fellow Slavic and Orthodox Christian nation -- while seeking EU entry.

Serbia, which relies almost fully on Russia for its energy supplies, has refused to join Western sanctions on Russia imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and hasn’t supported most EU statements condemning the aggression.

Article by Dusan Stojanovic.