This incredible nighttime military footage shows the Serbian Army conducting its largest-ever exercise performed in darkness using hi-tech Russian weapons.

The drill involved the use of countless items of military hardware supplied by Russia, and comes just weeks after the EU told Belgrade if it continues to work closely with the Kremlin’s military its petition to join the EU will never be approved.

The military exercise was carried out by more than 750 members of the Third Brigade of the Serbian Army with the support of Air Force and Air Defence at the Serb ‘Pasuljanske livade’ military training ground between 22nd and 23rd of June.

The military exercise, codenamed ‘Lightning Strike 2021’, was led by Brigadier General Sladjan Stamenkovic.

Doctor Nenad Miloradovic, Assistant Minister of Defence for Material Resources, stated that the ability to carry out combat operations at night just as effectively as during the day was and is one of the main advantages of technologically advanced armies

Much of the military equipment being used by the Serbian army during the nighttime exercise was provided by Russia.

Including the T-72 MS tank which can be seen obliterating targets under the cover of darkness in the footage.

The Pantsir missile system is a self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems manufactured in Russia by the Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant.

The air units were supported by Russian Mi-35M attack helicopters which carry Shturm-V anti-tank missiles along with an assortment of non-guided rockets.

The deep integration between Serbia’s military and Russia has been a thorn in both the EU’s and Belgrade’s side. With talks about Serbia joining the EU being hindered partly because member states claim Serbia’s foreign policy towards Russia doesn’t align with the Union’s.

Serbia is not a part of NATO and describes itself as a ‘neutral state’ allowing it to buy weapons from Russia which is something NATO has been trying to curb among its members.

Furthermore, as a neutral state Serbia carries out military exercises with countries that NATO and the EU often see as a threat including Russia.

Vladimir Bilcik, the European Parliament’s Serbia rapporteur, Tweeted on June 13th saying that Serbia’s joint-military drills with Russia were “not helpful” for Serbia’s chances of joining the EU.

The Tweet came as a result of Serbian-Belarusian-Russian military exercises carried out under the codename ‘Slavic Brotherhood’ which concluded on 19th June.

The EU said in a statement leading up to the EU-Serbia Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Tuesday (22nd June) that “chapters will not be opened or closed” but that Serbia could open the door to progress “if during the year if it fulfils the conditions we have asked for.”