BELGRADE -- Russia and Serbia are preparing to hold their first-ever joint antiterrorist exercises on Serbian territory.
RFE/RL's correspondent in Belgrade reports that six IL-76 aircraft from Russia arrived at a Belgrade airport on November 6.
Russian media quoted Defense Ministry officials in Moscow on November 5 as saying units from paratroopers in Tula will take part in the joint maneuvers, which are scheduled in the coming days.
The exercises will be held near the city of Nikinci in the northern province of Vojvodina.
Serbian military analyst Ljubodrag Stojadinovic told RFE/RL that joint maneuvers with Russian troops on this scale have never been held in Serbia.
He added that in holding the maneuvers, Moscow is trying to demonstrate that it has allies in Europe.
