:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/L5DDLGWQSJEWJHNSDKVOCKJHKQ.jpeg "Serbia Receives Secret Shipment of Chinese Sophisticated Missiles")
Serbian received a secret shipment of sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft systems, amid Western concerns that a weapons buildup in the Balkans could derail the fragile peace in the region.
Local press and military experts estimated on Sunday that six Chinese air force Y-20 aircraft landed at Belgrade civil airport on Saturdayallegedly carrying HQ-22 surface-to-air missiles for Serbian forces.
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Photos emerged of the planes, bearing Chinese military insignia, at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport. Serbia’s Defense Ministry has not yet responded to an AP request for comment.
The shipment, made over the territory of at least two NATO members — Turkey and Bulgaria — was interpreted by experts as a demonstration of the international scope of Chinese war power.
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“The appearance of the Y-20s caused alarm because they all flew together instead of just one plane at a time,” wrote the specialized magazine The Warzone. “The fact that there are Y-20s in Europe is in itself a relatively new development.”
Serbian military analyst Aleksandar Radic stated that “China has made a show of force.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic all but confirmed the arrival of the anti-aircraft system, the product of a deal forged in 2019, announcing on Saturday that he will display the “latest pride” of the Serbian armed forces on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Source: Elcomercio
