Bratislav Gasic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/DS)
Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic on Sept. 3 denied certain media reports that a new contract on the procurement of French fighter aircraft Rafale also contained a provision for Serbia to hand its Russia-made fighter jets MiG-29 to France, which would then be transferred to Ukraine.
“It is yet another in a series of huge lies and fabrications aimed at tarnishing the procurement of 12 brand new multirole fighter aircraft Rafale, F-4 version. The MiG jets owned by Serbia are Serbian and we will not give them to anyone ever,” Gasic said in a release.
He also said that Serbia would never give up its MiG-29 aircraft, stressing that they would be very operable for a number of years. “Moreover, we will continue to procure modern military equipment and arms for to build up the capability of the Serbian Army and preserve peace and stability,” the minister said.
Earlier, some Croatian media outlets have reported, citing a post by Elena Panina, the former deputy speaker of Russian Duma, saying that Serbia’s contract on the procurement of Rafale jets also meant that Serbian MiG-29 aircraft would be handed to France, and later deployed to Ukraine. The Serbian Army has 14 modernized MiG-29 fighter jets.
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