Russia’s defence ministry on Thursday said it had sent its advanced air-defence S-400 missile system to Serbia for a joint exercise.
The ministry said that it is the first time the weapon has been sent abroad for training.
It said that the long-range S-400 and the short-range Pantsir-S1 systems arrived in Belgrade on a military airplane.
The Serbian defence ministry said that the Slavic Shield 2019 exercise will showcase air defence units from both countries in two locations.
It has not mentioned the S-400 or the timetable.
But President, Aleksandar Vucic, asked about it at an unrelated event, said that Serbia had already ordered the Pantsir and that he would see the S-400 in action on Saturday.
Serbia is an EU membership candidate and joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace in 2006, but continues to nurture close ties with traditional ally Russia.
