A convoluted route from Slovakia through Romania and North Macedonia turned decommissioned air defence systems into a lucrative shadow deal with a pro-Russian proxy in Africa – Uganda. While the paperwork might have been technically “clean,” the Cabinet of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski remains completely silent on the geopolitical risks about the lethal weapon system being transported through the country in 2025.

A major international scandal has erupted involving the secretive sale of Slovak 2K12 Kub (SA-6) surface-to-air missile networks. Sold initially by the Slovak military as “scrap metal” for a mere €42,000, the weapons were immediately flipped by a private firm to a Romanian contractor for a staggering €10 million. The full investigation into this multi-million euro scheme and how it unfolded can be uncovered in the investigative story The Scrap Metal Corridor, published on CIVIL Today on 3 June 2026.

From Slovakia, the lethal hardware set off on a highly convoluted route through North Macedonia to reach Uganda, bearing all the classic hallmarks of a gray-market arms operation.

Why Uganda doesn’t need air defence missile system

Defence analysts point out that the Ugandan military has absolutely zero operational use for medium-range anti-aircraft systems. Uganda handles domestic policing with light infantry, APCs, and tear gas. Using advanced anti-air missiles for crowd control is physically impossible. Uganda’s active external military engagement is a counter-insurgency campaign against rebels in the dense jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These rebels have zero airpower, meaning the missile systems have no targets.

Because these weapons offer zero domestic utility, security alarms need to be triggered. Uganda has deep military ties to the Kremlin. With Russia desperately scouring the globe for Soviet-era spare parts to replenish its front lines in Ukraine, suspicions are near-certain that Uganda acted as a “straw buyer” proxy to circumvent Western sanctions.

The unanswered questions sent to PM Mickoski

Because North Macedonia served as a friction-free geographic corridor for this massive, multi-million euro shadow transaction, the editorial board of CIVIL MEDIA sent a formal request for transparency to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.

We demanded answers to the following critical points:

• Which logistical/transport company (domestic or international) was engaged for the physical transport of these rocket systems through the territory of North Macedonia, and to which legal entity was the official transit permit issued?
• Did the competent institutions (Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy), when giving their mandatory consent for the transit permit, perform a security and geopolitical risk assessment—given the final user’s (Uganda) deep military ties with the Russian Federation?
• In what exact period was this transit realized across Macedonian territory, and did the Ministry of Interior provide the appropriate armed escort for the convoy, in accordance with legal obligations?

The formal transit permit for military equipment requires strict, coordinated vetting and explicit clearances across multiple ministries before being finalized by the Ministry of Economy.

Up to the moment of publication of this investigative piece, the editorial board of CIVIL MEDIA has received NO RESPONSE from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski regarding the queries submitted.

CIVIL MEDIA Desk

Click HERE to read our full, in-depth investigative report detailing the complete financial trail, the corporate entities involved, and the full geopolitical analysis behind the €11 million deal.

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