Serbia has acquired 11 Russian-made Mi35 helicopter gunships from Cyprus to strengthen its air force and maintain regional military supremacy.
“We have paid more than half to our Cypriot brothers with our weapons … mainly … artillery,” said Serbian President Alexander Vucic.
The Cypriot government and Serbia agreed to purchase ageing Mi35s in 2021, part of which Belgrade paid by exporting Serbian-made weapons. Serbia also announced a sale of 48 Serbian-made self-propelled howitzers worth €311m ($339m) to an unspecified country. Serbia, a candidate to join the European Union, has one of the largest armies in the Western Balkans and still relies on ex-Soviet military technology. In June, Belgrade is negotiating the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault. Serbia is militarily neutral but has joined the NATO Partnership for Peace program. Belgrade has curtailed military co-operation with Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine and condemned the invasion, but has not imposed sanctions on Moscow. Serbia’s military budget amounts to $1.43bn – or 2% of GDP.
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
Serbia Buys Military Helicopters from Cyprus
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