Serbia strengthens air defense, buys 11 Russian-made military helicopters from Cyprus

 


Nov 23, 2023. Posted by  Balkan Periscope - Hellas

 

Serbia has purchased 11 Russian-made Mi-35 military helicopters from Cyprus, which they have now received on special transport flights.

"Serbia is seeking to strengthen its air defense and remain a dominant military force in the region," the country's president, Aleksandar Vucic, said on Thursday.

The Cypriot government and Serbia agreed in 2021 to buy old Mi-35 helicopters in need of repair. The purchase price was not disclosed, but part of it was compensated by Belgrade by exporting Serbian-made weapons.

"We paid more than half of their value to our Cypriot brothers with our weapons, mostly artillery," Vucic told reporters during a presentation at the Batagnica air base near Belgrade.

--