Serbia pivots West as Russian arms supply falters
The war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia have resulted in challenges even for its loyal, long-standing allies. The Serbian army is increasingly voicing concerns about issues related to the maintenance of Soviet and Russian weapons, which it has been accumulating on a large scale for many years.
The inability to obtain necessary components from Russia means that, to maintain readiness of assets such as MiG-29 fighters, T-72 tanks, or missile systems, Serbia must seek spare parts in other countries. This situation was confirmed by Milan Mojsilović, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.
Serbia faces challenges with Russian weapons
In an interview with the portal novosti.rs, a Serbian military official explained that acquiring weapons supplies from the Russian Federation is almost impossible. The official shared that efforts are being made to address this challenge by exploring alternative diplomatic channels.
Mojsilović did not disclose the countries selected as alternative sources for acquiring the necessary components for maintaining Serbian armaments, a significant portion of which are Soviet-era equipment obtained under contracts with Moscow. Serbia operates, among other things, a dozen or so MiG-29 fighters, several dozen T-72 tanks, 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, D-30 howitzers, M-46 guns with a calibre of 130 mm, Kub rocket launchers, and Strela-10 systems.
Among the newer Russian armaments in service with the Serbian army are the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems, which Belgrade began receiving in 2020. It is one of the best systems of its kind produced in Russia and is also employed during the war in Ukraine. It uses 57E6 or 57E6-E rocket missiles with a range of about 12 miles. Additionally, the Pantsir-S1 is equipped with 2A38M automatic cannons with a calibre of 30 mm and a range of about 2 miles.
Serbia starts to turn towards Western weapons
Despite the extensive use of Soviet and Russian armaments, the Serbian authorities have recently shown a noticeable shift in approach. They are signing new arms contracts with various countries, including those in the West.
France and Spain agreed on Rafale fighters and transport aircraft to replace the Soviet An-26. At the beginning of 2025, the Serbian army announced a contract with Israeli Elbit Systems to acquire PULS artillery systems and Hermes 900 drones.
