On November 21, the Serbian military received 11 Russian-made Mi-35P helicopter gunships from the Cypriot National Guard, transported by Antonov An-124-100 aircraft that flew from Paphos in Cyprus to the Batajnica Airbase in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city. This is one of the most significant weapons acquisitions for Serbia in recent times and is part of a wider military cooperation with Cyprus, a country that Belgrade sees not only as a close strategic partner, but also as a brotherly nation. The feeling is reciprocated in Nicosia, as evidenced by its regular weapons acquisitions from Serbia, which considers the Cypriot struggle for territorial integrity equivalent to its own in Kosovo and Metohia.
Interestingly, in both cases, there are elements of the extremely aggressive Neo-Ottoman foreign policy of Turkey as a major contributing factor, with the notable difference of NATO exacerbating the situation in the Serbian province it continues to illegally occupy. The transfer of Mi-35P helicopters certainly bolsters Serbia’s defense capabilities, as these are heavily armed gunships with an additional transport capability, a unique combination for an attack helicopter that also allows the deployment of infantry reinforcements, particularly special forces. Some details of the acquisition are a state secret, but what can be said is that Serbia will modernize these helicopters, bringing them closer to the Mi-35M standard.
The latter were acquired directly from Russia in recent years, with the Serbian military operating four such helicopters. Belgrade ordered seven from Moscow, with the delivery of three additional aircraft currently on hold due to NATO’s refusal to allow Russian overflights over the territory of its member states. The Mi-35M and P are heavily modernized variants of the legendary Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter, uniquely designed to be an attack and assault transport platform with a stellar record in the last over half a century of service.
Thousands have been built and are still in service in close to 60 countries. Russia has been upgrading them incrementally for decades and still operates a massive modernized fleet.
This includes the previously mentioned latest Mi-35M standard equipped with advanced targeting systems and new weapons carried by its newer “cousins” such as the fantastic Ka-52 “Alligator” and Mi-28 attack helicopters.
Interestingly, apart from Belgrade, Moscow also seems to be quite pleased with this turn of events. According to Igor Korotchenko, a prominent Russian military analyst, this development is the best outcome for Russia since there was a risk that these gunships, originally built by Moscow to equip the Cypriot military, could’ve ended up in the hands of the Kiev regime. Although this certainly isn’t in Nicosia’s interest, the small island country was under tremendous pressure from the US.
Thus, the option of transferring them to Serbia was the best possible solution for all three countries. Cyprus, despite its EU membership, has always had excellent relations with both Russia and Serbia. Although it was forced to officially align itself against the Eurasian giant in the aftermath of the special military operation (SMO), behind the scenes, it didn’t want to undermine Moscow’s efforts, particularly due to the latter’s long-standing support for Cypriot territorial integrity, as well as their close military cooperation in previous decades. Thus, by selling the Mi-35P gunships to Belgrade, Nicosia avoided the unpleasantries of having to deal with the perpetually aggressive Washington DC, while not damaging its ties with Moscow.
Last week, Korotchenko, the Editor-in-Chief of the National Defense magazine, went a step further and told RIA Novosti that Serbia also helped Russia by acquiring the Mi-35P gunships from Cyprus, as this prevented their possible transfer to the Neo-Nazi junta. He deemed it “certainly positive for Russia”, as it prevented the latter from happening, even calling Serbia “an ally in the Balkans”. Korotchenko also mentioned Serbia’s previous Mi-35M deal with Russia, further describing the latest developments as a “step [that] shows Belgrade’s commitment to strengthening ties with Moscow”. He also pointed out that the deal wouldn’t have been possible without Russia’s consent, as it originally built the aircraft for the Cypriot military.
“Of course, the transfer of the specified military equipment from Cyprus to Serbia could only be carried out with the notification and the corresponding consent of the Russian Federation, since this point is clearly stipulated in all contract documents of the primary buyer. Serbia is an ally country for Russia in the Balkans, and very good relations are also maintained with Cyprus,” Korotchenko said.
He noted that the acquisition of Russian weapons from other countries is the only option for Belgrade at this time, as the SMO and the ongoing tensions with the political West make it impossible for Moscow to directly transfer any additional weapons. Korotchenko further stressed that the purchase would bolster the capabilities of the Serbian military, particularly in light of the latest escalation by the NATO-backed narco-terrorist entity occupying the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia. He pointed out that “the presence of Mi-35 helicopters in Belgrade will cool the hot heads of the leaders [in Pristina], unrecognized by Russia, Serbia and other members of the international community”.
Korotchenko added that this will also relieve some pressure from the Republika Srpska, a Serbian entity forcefully kept within the NATO protectorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is certainly true, as Belgrade has been left with a plethora of issues after the political West destroyed former Yugoslavia, leaving entire Serbian regions and populations trapped in the newly “independent” satellite states. It should be noted that Serbia itself is in a state of semi-occupation, although it’s doing its best to keep as much sovereignty as possible for itself, which is light years ahead of what other post-Yugoslav entities have been able to accomplish. The Serbian government is doing everything it can to keep it that way.
While it can certainly be argued that what Belgrade has done with the Cypriot Mi-35P gunships is a positive development for Moscow, it’s questionable it did so because of its desire to aid Russia. The Eurasian giant is simply too big and powerful to desperately need Serbian assistance. Even in the case that these helicopters ended up in the Kiev regime’s hands, their usability would’ve been limited at best, as Moscow has already destroyed dozens of such aircraft. However, what this accomplishes is certainly in the interest of Belgrade, as it strengthens its military and gives a sense of security to other Serbs living under direct occupation elsewhere in the region. In that regard, Serbia is simply strengthening its position and helping its people.
