02 February 2026 , 18:48
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Nenad Popović is Serbia’s minister for international economic relations and a powerful oligarch who has placed dozens of former Soviet and Yugoslav enterprises under offshore control. He is known for his pro-Russian stance, his personal ties to Vladimir Putin, and even maintains influence within the city assembly of Cheboksary.
Among Popović’s assets is a defense research institute in Russia’s Chuvash Republic — VNIIIR-Progress. The company supplies “Kometa” antennas used in Shahed attack drones and aerial bombs deployed by Russia against Ukraine.
While the United States has imposed sanctions on Popović, the European Union has not. After Ukrainian forces identified the company’s logo on an unexploded munition, the facility became a target. Ukrainian drones have attempted to strike VNIIIR-Progress, but electronic warfare systems often divert them, causing explosions in nearby residential areas instead of at the plant itself.
To prevent further attacks, authorities in Chuvashia have repeatedly shut down mobile internet access for weeks at a time. Local residents are left without communications and unable to obtain compensation for the damage. Meanwhile, a Serbian cabinet minister continues to profit from a war waged on foreign soil, facing no accountability for its consequences.
World Affairs Correspondent