Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has issued a sharp statement, claiming that the Ukrainian military is “very grateful” to Serbian weapons and ammunition manufacturers for their contribution to maintaining the combat readiness of Ukrainian armed forces.
The SVR’s press service reported that, according to its intelligence, Serbian military-industrial complex enterprises are increasing their export of military products to the “collective West” and Russia’s confrontation zone, despite growing pressure from Moscow on Belgrade. This is largely achieved through “indirect supply chains,” the statement notes.
The SVR alleges that ammunition produced in Serbian defense factories, primarily for heavy, long-range systems, is being sent to NATO countries in the interest of Ukraine in the form of complete sets of parts for assembly.
“This allows Kyiv to formally receive military products that are no longer Serbian, but are assembled in the arms factories of Western countries. The assembly and loading of ammunition is carried out primarily in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria,” the statement reads. “At the same time, manufacturers in Serbia are well aware of the real consumers of their products and the fact that their missiles and shells will kill Russian military personnel and residents of Russian settlements.”
The SVR cited specific examples, stating that the Krušik factory in Valjevo recently sold several large batches of 122 mm rocket assembly kits for the Grad air-missile system to the Czech company Poličske strojirny. Additionally, the Ložnica defense enterprise “Eling” reportedly sent kits for producing the same rockets, as well as 120 mm mortar shells, to the Bulgarian company “EMKO.”
The Russian service concluded with a strong condemnation: “For centuries, a common faith has united the Serbian and Russian people and raised them to fight together against our enemies. It is regrettable that these traditions of friendship and mutual assistance are now being erased by the thirst for profit and cowardly multi-vectorism.”
