Serbia terminates several military contracts with Russia

Serbia has terminated several contracts with Russia for the supply of weapons due to the ongoing instability in international relations, according to General Milan Moisilovich, Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of Serbia.

Moisilovich explained that despite the sanctions against Moscow, Serbia has managed to find ways to maintain and service its military equipment, much of which is of Soviet or Russian origin, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Many countries, including Serbia, use weapons produced in the USSR and Russia, and these are licensed in various nations.

However, the supply of weapons from Russia is currently impossible. Moisilovich stated that Serbia had cancelled certain contracts and postponed others, hoping that the global political situation would normalize and enable the continuation of existing agreements. He reassured that Serbian authorities were seeking diplomatic solutions to navigate this challenge.

In response to Serbia’s decision, Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, remarked that President Aleksandar Vucic and his government are under constant pressure from NATO-aligned countries. He acknowledged Vucic's resistance to being drawn into sanctioning Russia, but noted that the situation is not critical, as

Russia had not been supplying significant quantities of weapons to Serbia at the moment. Dzhabarov emphasized that Serbia’s neutral stance towards the West is its right, though he noted that such positions typically do not lead to substantial changes. He expressed confidence that the friendly relations between Russia and Serbia would continue to develop.

The decision to terminate contracts follows Serbia’s earlier move in April 2024, when the country opted to purchase fighter jets from France rather than Russia, due to difficulties arising from the conflict in Ukraine. Serbia faced challenges with the maintenance of its Soviet-era weapons, including the inability to secure spare parts from Russia due to the geopolitical situation.

Despite this shift, Russian officials, including State Duma deputy Alexei Chepa, maintained that the refusal to buy Russian fighter jets would not affect the overall relationship between the two nations, attributing it to the pressures faced by Serbia in the current geopolitical climate.

By Khagan Isayev