The deal between France and Serbia for the purchase of 12 new Rafale fighter jets for €2.7 billion includes a clause for transferring Serbian MiG-29 fighters to France, after which they would be sent to Ukraine, according to former Russian Deputy Chair Elena Vladimirovna Panina.
“The jets will be handed over to the French in December. It’s clear that these planes will then go to Ukraine. Moscow is suspected to have already been informed of this clause in the agreement,” she wrote on Telegram.
According to publicly available data, Serbia has 14 active MiG-29 fighter jets, and Panina claims that the transfer of 36 jets is being prepared. It is unknown how many inactive MiG-29s Serbia has in storage. “It’s unlikely that Belgrade has permission from Russian authorities for this action,” Panina stated.
“End-user certification in arms transactions should be allowed, not based on notifications. However, practice shows that relying on legal norms in Russian arms trade is meaningless. If the West needs it, they will be bypassed immediately,” she added.
“This is not the first time Serbian weapons have been sent to Kyiv. Through an intermediary, Ukraine has received ammunition from Serbia worth €800 million. The question arises as to which of Russia’s allies could buy its weapons without risking being targeted later,” she said.
The information about the possible transfer of Serbian aircraft to Ukraine comes during the 19th Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia, where Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević is also participating.
“Ukrainians are Slavic brothers to Serbs, and Belgrade has supported all resolutions for territorial integrity,” Vučević said.
During a panel at the Bled Strategic Forum, he defended Belgrade’s decision not to impose sanctions on Russia, even though EU integration implies alignment with the foreign and security policy of that alliance. Serbia is the only candidate country that has not done so yet.
Vučević stated that Serbia respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and added that Belgrade is transparent about its relations with China and Russia and has the right to protect its national interests in the best way possible.
