NATO respects Serbia's joint military exercises with Russia

NATO said that “respects Serbia's” decision to hold joint military air exercises with Russia in which S-400 Russian and Pantsir-S air defence systems are being established.

Russia said broad-range S-400 systems and short-range Pantsir-S systems are being used in the SlavicShild-2019 exercise to prove joint actions by Russian and Serbian military to protect air strikes, Kosovo reports.

Russia's Defence Ministry said surface-air missile systems are located at Batajnica base outside the Serbian capital, Belgrade, writes Radio Free Europe.

The “is the first time that an S-400 battalion and a Pantsir-S battery have appeared in military exercises outside Russia”, the ministry said.

In a statement to RFE / RL, the NATO press office said the alliance and Serbia “are partners and we respect Serbia's right to make sovereign decisions regarding exercises on its territory”.

This is an issue for Serbia and Russia. Serbia is NATO partner”.

NATO also said the Balkan country has a “good and productive relationship” with the Western alliance.

S-400 will return to Russia after six-day exercises end on 29 October.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq has said the Pantsir system was bought by his government.

Serbia maintains strong political and economic relations with Russia, despite the stated goal of joining the EU. Belgrade has pledged to stay outside NATO and refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.