Serbia, Russia’s European ally, received this weekend a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a covert operation, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans, amid the war in Ukraine, could threaten the fragile peace in the region.
Media and military experts said on Sunday that six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport aircraft landed at Belgrade’s civil airport early Saturday, allegedly with surface-to-air missile systems HQ-22 for the Serbian Army.
Chinese cargo planes with military markings were photographed at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport. The Serbian Ministry of Defense did not answer immediately to AP’s request for comment
The delivery of weapons on the territory of at least two NATO member states Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of China’s growing global reach.
“The appearance of the Y-20s attracted attention because they flew en masse rather than a series of single-plane flights,” The Warzone online magazine wrote. “The presence of the Y-20 in Europe in any number is also still a fairly new event“.
Show of force
Serbian military analyst Aleksandar Radic said that “the Chinese carried out their show of force.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic almost confirmed the delivery of the mid-range system that it was agreed in 2019 and said on Saturday that will present “the newest pride” of the army Serbian on Tuesday or Wednesday.
He had previously complained that the NATO countries, which represent the majority of Serbia’s neighbours, refuse to allow delivery flights of the system over its territories amid tensions over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Although Serbia has voted in favor of the UN resolutions condemning the bloody Russian attacks in Ukraine has refused to join the international sanctions against their allies in Moscow or openly criticize the apparent atrocities committed by Russian troops there.
In 2020, US officials warned Belgrade against buying HQ-22 anti-aircraft systems, the export version of which is known as the FK-3. They said that if Serbia really wants to join the European Union and other Western alliances, you must bring your military equipment in line with western standards.
The Chinese missile system has been widely compared to surface-to-air missile systems American Patriot y Russian S-300although has a shorter range than the more advanced S-300s. Serbia will be the first operator of Chinese missiles in Europe.
Serbia was at war with its neighbors in the 1990s. The country, which is formally seeking EU membership, has already been building up its armed forces. with Russian and Chinese weapons, including fighter planes, battle tanks and other equipment.
In 2020, received drones Chengdu Pterodactyl-1, known in China as Wing Loong. Combat drones can attack targets with bombs and missiles and can be used for reconnaissance.
There are fears in the West that the arming of Serbia by Russia and China could encourage the Balkan country to wage another war, especially against his former province of Kosovo which declared its independence in 2008.
Serbia, Russia and China do not recognize Kosovo’s statehood, while the United States and most Western countries do.