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World Defense & Security News - Serbia
 
 
Serbia starts receiving MiG-29 fighter jets donated by Russia
 
Serbia recently received a first two of six MiG-29 fighter jets donated by the Russian government. According to the Serbian MoD Twitter account, the warplanes were transported, disassembled, on one An-124-100 cargo plane that landed at a military airport near Belgrade on Monday afternoon. All six are to arrive by the end of this week.
     
Serbi starts receiving MiG 29 fighter jets donated by Russia 640 001A MiG-29 from the SAF 204th Air Force Brigade
(Credit: Serbian MoD)
     
"In accordance with an agreement reached between Serbian and Russian Armed Forces Supreme Commanders-in-Chief Aleksandar Vucic and Vladimir Putin, the MiG-29 planes will arrive in Serbia and I hope that we will show them to our citizens on October 20," the Serbian defense minister said to the Pink TV channel.

The Vecernje Novosti daily reported on September 26 that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was expected to visit Belgrade on October 20 and the delivery of the Russian military hardware might be timed to his visit.

"Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu may visit Belgrade on October 20 when the liberation of the Serbian capital from the Nazis is celebrated. There is a possibility that the MiGs and the first batch of other military hardware Russia has decided to donate to Belgrade will arrive in Serbia" in early October before the anniversary, the media outlet reported.

In December, the government in Belgrade said Russia had agreed to donate six MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia's Air Force. Moscow had also agreed to extend to 14 years the service life of the Serbian Air Force fleet of Russian-made MiG-29s, including the donated aircraft.