"Russia’s Defense Ministry has never sent any vessels to transport military hardware along the Danube to Serbia. All reports about such shipments and Romania’s alleged detention of Russian vessels with armored personnel carriers are absolute lies," the ministry stated.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian military hardware has already been delivered to Serbia as envisaged by the contract.

"All the deliveries were carried out in strict compliance with the terms of the contract and on agreed dates," the ministry announced.

"Export of defense-related products from Russia to Serbia proceeds in strict compliance with international laws and as part of bilateral military technical cooperation," the ministry stressed.

Romania’s Digi 24 television channel reported earlier on Friday that the Romanian authorities had detained a Russian vessel carrying 30 tanks and 30 armored personnel carriers to Serbia under the contract between Moscow and Belgrade. The military vehicles, according to the TV channel, were seized.

A spokesperson for the Romanian Foreign Ministry told TASS later that Romania had refused to issue a permit for transit of Russian vehicles with military hardware along the Danube due to the European Union’s anti-Russian sanctions.