The Serbian Ambassador denied the cessation of arms purchases from Russia
Reports that Serbia has stopped purchasing Russian weapons are not true. This was stated today by the Serbian Ambassador in Moscow Miroslav Lazanski, commenting on the meeting between Presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
The day before, Western and Ukrainian media published a statement by Vucic about stopping arms purchases abroad. In publications, this was interpreted as a result of the successful pressure of the United States patronizing the Kosovars on Belgrade, which recently received air defense systems, tanks, armored infantry vehicles, combat helicopters, etc. from Russia.
Lazanski explained that there was no talk of a complete cessation of purchases and curtailment of cooperation with Russia - Vučić only implied that emphasis would now be placed on the development of the armed forces.
“There are different stages of development and reform of the army. Sometimes you focus on buying new combat systems and then work to increase salaries. In the last three or four years, we have been planning to acquire new combat systems - and we have acquired helicopters, airplanes, air defense parts and continue to purchase them. Now this cycle is probably over, and we are going to increase the salaries of people in the Armed Forces a little, but we are not going to stop completely (even in weapons purchases). This may not go at such a high pace and with such large systems, but we will emphasize some other things,” the ambassador said in an interview with Sputnik.
Serbia still has a need for priority purchases of air defense equipment from Russia, Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko, editor of the National Defense magazine, told PolitNavigator.
“They need, first of all, short-range anti-aircraft missile systems “TOR-M2”. They have proven themselves excellent in ensuring the security of the Olympics in Sochi, and, most importantly, in repelling terrorist drone attacks on the Russian airbase in Khmeimim,” Korotchenko said.
He explained that TOR-M2 is a last-line air defense weapon.
“It is guaranteed to cover (the probability is close to 100%) and destroy any type of air targets in its area of responsibility. And Serbia has the oldest air defense equipment in the army, dating back to the times of the Soviet Union. She is over 30 years old. Therefore, its replacement will be the main criterion for the success of the Serbian army,” Korotchenko said.
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