Summary: Recent rumors suggested that Serbia might send its fleet of MiG-29s to Ukraine as part of a deal with France for Rafale jets, sparking surprise due to Serbia's close ties with Russia.

-Russian officials claimed Serbia would hand over 36 MiG-29s, later sent to Kyiv, though Serbia only operates 14.

-Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gaši firmly denied these reports, calling them misinformation aimed at discrediting Serbia’s Rafale deal.

-The rumors may be part of a Russian campaign to pressure Serbia into abandoning its purchase of French-made jets, using misinformation to sway public opinion and influence Belgrade.

Belgrade Says Its MiG-29s Won't Head to Ukraine

Rumors swirled in the past week that Serbia might send Ukraine its fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29 twin-engine multirole fighters. The news was surprising. Serbia is known as "Russia's little brother" for the close cultural and political ties between Belgrade and Moscow.

The reports began after it was announced that Serbia would acquire a dozen French-made Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets. Russian officials claimed that France would "deduct" nearly $400 million from the $3 billion deal, and receive the 36 Russian-made MiG-29s, which would then be sent to Kyiv.

"The planes [MiG-29] will be handed over to the French in December, after which they will be sent to Ukraine.  Moscow has already been informed of this aspect of the agreement," Elena Panina, a member of the United Russia Party and former deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma, posted on Telegram, per a report from Bulgarian Military. 

She added, "It is unlikely that Belgrade would have received permission from the Russian authorities for this action,” and "this is not the first time Serbian weapons have been delivered to Kyiv. 

"Ukraine received 800 million euros worth of ammunition from Serbia via an intermediary. This situation begs the question: To which nations can Russia safely sell weapons without fearing they might one day be turned against us?"

Kyiv has received MiG-29s from Poland and Slovakia. However, some of the 27 aircraft provided – 14 from Poland and 13 from Slovakia – were unflyable and were supplied as a source of spare parts.

Misinformation Campaign

Russia is known to operate numerous misinformation campaigns. Just last week, the U.S. Department of Justice warned that several high-profile American influencers – many with pro-Russian leanings – were being paid by Moscow. The influencers claimed they didn't know where the money came from and have attempted to paint themselves as "victims."

However, it might seem in this case that Panina is the victim of misinformation, in part because Belgrade doesn't even have three dozen MiG-29s to supply.

"Serbia operates only 14 MiG-29s, four of them inherited from Yugoslavia, six purchased from Russia and four from Belarus,"Aerospace Global News reported. 

It has also been reported that while Serbia is increasing its combat aircraft fleet, it has made no indication that it plans to retire any of the MiG-29s now in service.

"This is yet another egregious lie and falsehood, the sole purpose of which is to cast a shadow over the acquisition of 12 brand new fourth-generation Rafale multi-role combat aircraft. The MiGs that Serbia owns are Serbian and we will never give them to anyone," said Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gaši .

There has been speculation that the misinformation campaign could be directed at convincing Belgrade not to move forward with the Rafale deal with France – and this is Moscow's way of intimidating its beloved little brother.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected]. 

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