The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Serbian companies of “producing ammunition and weapons” that are allegedly being used by Ukraine. This accusation has led to a sharp exchange between the two nations, with Russia criticizing its Balkan ally and Belgrade defending its neutral stance in the ongoing conflict.

According to the SVR,Ukraine is using Serbian-made missiles for rocket launchers and howitzers,along with “millions of weapon cartridges.” The Russian statement, titled “Serbian military and industrial complex is trying to shoot Russia in the back,” claims that these deliveries cannot be justified by “humanitarian reasons” and serve only to harm russian military personnel and civilians.

The SVR further alleges that Serbia is profiting “from the blood of the Slavic brotherly nations” and that the “falsification of the end user certificate” is occurring through intermediary countries such as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, and even some African nations.

Serbia Responds to Russian Allegations

President Aleksandar Vuczić addressed the accusations, revealing that he had discussed the matter with vladimir Putin. vuczić stated that “some of the allegations formulated are untrue” and announced the creation of a working group with Russian partners to investigate the facts surrounding the arms deliveries.

“We created a working group with our Russian partners to determine the facts.”

Vuczić emphasized the importance of Serbia’s defense industry, stating that Serbian Military and Przemysłowy Zakłady “employ 23,000 people” and “must work.” He questioned where Serbia could export weapons if not to countries like America, Turkey, and Arab nations.

The President of Serbia also announced that he “will infect the signing of contracts” for the sale of ammunition and weapons if it is indeed discovered that the final recipient is a party involved in the conflict.