Serbia allowed arms shipments bound for Ukraine to pass through its territory even after receiving warnings from Moscow.
According to an investigation by Balkan Insight published on July 22, Serbia has quietly permitted foreign military shipments, including high-explosive ammunition, to transit its land on their way to Ukraine. This happened despite Serbia's official position of military neutrality and increasing pressure from Russia to halt such movements.
In late May, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbia of enabling arms deliveries to Ukraine. The SVR claimed that Serbian defence firms and government-linked entities were using third countries and forged documents to hide the real destination of the weapons. “Serbian defence companies, contrary to the 'neutrality' declared by official Belgrade, continue to deliver ammunition to Kiev,” the SVR stated.
The investigation reveals that although Serbia has not directly exported weapons to Ukraine, it has facilitated arms transit through its borders. One shipment, detailed in documents obtained by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), shows Serbia’s interior ministry approved the transport of 960 high-explosive 155mm shells on June 12. These shells, originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina, passed through Serbia en route to Hungary. The final buyer was the Czech company Omnipol, which is part of a broader Czech initiative to support Ukraine’s armed forces.
Bosnia, like Serbia, officially refrains from selling arms to Ukraine due to internal political divisions and strong opposition from pro-Russian leaders in the Serb-majority region of Republika Srpska. Still, Bosnian defence firms have seen rising demand from NATO countries, especially Czechia, which are known to be arming Ukraine.
Despite Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s claim on June 23 that ammunition exports had been halted, the BIRN report suggests that arms continue to transit Serbia via third-party arrangements.
In 2024, the Financial Times reported that Serbian ammunition worth €800 million had ended up in Ukraine. While Russia initially responded quietly, the SVR’s recent accusations have renewed concerns over Serbia’s balancing act between its long-standing ties with Russia and its ambitions to join the European Union.
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