BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Friday denied it has exported arms to Ukraine after Moscow demanded to know if its Balkan ally delivered hundreds of rockets for Ukraine’s battle in opposition to Russia’s invasion.

Serbian Overseas Minister Ivica Dacic stated that for the reason that starting of the struggle in Ukraine, no weapons have been exported from Serbia to any of the events to the “battle.”

“I can say that as a result of my ministry offers the permission for (arms) exports,” Dacic stated. “Serbia doesn’t ship army tools to any nation that we imagine can be problematic in any manner.”

Russia on Thursday demanded an official clarification from its ally Serbia about reviews that the Balkan nation has delivered hundreds of rockets to Ukraine.

Russian Overseas Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed “deepest concern” in regards to the reviews, which first got here from pro-government Russian media final month.

“We’re following this story,” Zakharova stated in a press release posted on the Russian Overseas Ministry web site late Thursday. She added that the attainable arming of Ukraine represented a “severe query” for Serbian-Russian relations.

The media reviews stated a Serbian state arms manufacturing facility not too long ago delivered some 3,500 missiles for the Grad a number of rocket launchers utilized by each the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces. The 122 mm rockets had been allegedly transported to Ukraine by way of Turkey and Slovakia.

Serbian Protection Minister Milos Vucevic has denied the nation exported the missiles to Ukraine however left open the chance they may have gotten there by way of a 3rd celebration.

“If personal firms purchase weapons in third states’ markets after which promote them to different firms in different nations, that’s not a query for Serbia, that’s worldwide commerce,” he stated.

Serbia is Moscow’s closest ally in Europe, with historic, spiritual and cultural ties which are bolstered by a long time of pro-Russian propaganda campaigns within the Balkan nation.

Russia backs Serbia’s declare over its former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 with Western assist. And Serbia has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.

Western officers worry Russia might use simmering tensions in Kosovo to attempt to destabilize the Balkans and avert some consideration from the invasion of Ukraine.

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Observe AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine