On August 18, according to TASS news agency, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan Kharchenko said that Serbia does not supply weapons to Ukraine, but cannot rule out the possibility that the country's weapons are transferred to Kiev through "gray market" channels.
"This activity has never happened before," Mr. Botsan Kharchenko said.
According to the Russian Ambassador, Belgrade understands the complexity of the issue and "has absolutely no intention of providing military support to Ukraine". He said Serbia is ready to monitor the situation and ensure the transparency of relevant channels.
Mr. Botsan Kharchenko shared that one of the issues that once caused tension in relations between Moscow and Belgrade was the appearance of Serbian-made weapons in the area where the special military operation took place, in the hands of Kiev forces.
Of course, they get there through roundabout routes, through many different underground channels. In the current conditions, monitoring and controlling these channels is extremely difficult. That is why some incidents have occurred," he said.
According to the Russian Ambassador, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has made many efforts to solve this problem and currently controls all Serbian arms production activities.
We have a fairly transparent information exchange mechanism on this issue and cooperation is being maintained," Mr. Botsan Kharchenko said.
Mr. Botsan Kharchenko said that Serbia is monitoring the situation and coordinating to ensure transparency in the transfer of its defense products.
