MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Moscow believes Belgrade when it says that it is suspending arms exports, but plans to "verify" that this is done, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergey Naryshkin told TASS.
"As far as I understand, a response was already given yesterday. President [of Serbia Aleksandar] Vucic delivered a speech and issued a statement saying that Serbia is suspending – or even halting entirely – the export of arms," Naryshkin said, responding to a question about what reaction Moscow expects from Belgrade following SVR reports on Serbian military supplies to Ukraine.
"We will verify this," Naryshkin added when asked whether Moscow takes Belgrade’s assurances at face value.
On June 23, Russia’s SVR once again reported that Belgrade is using indirect channels to export military products to Ukraine and is ramping up supplies to Kiev’s armed forces.
According to the SVR, ammunition manufactured at Serbian defense enterprises – primarily for long-range heavy weapons – is being transferred to NATO countries "in the form of complete component sets for assembly."
