More than 150 foreign nationals with pro-Russian leanings were trained in Serbia between July and September this year, in target recognition and shooting practice, with the training organized as preparation for the upcoming elections in Moldova.
Following the public disclosure of this information, the first arrests took place. Two men were detained early this morning in Šabac on suspicion of involvement in financing and organizing paramilitary Russian training camps for Moldovans and Romanians in the Loznica area of western Serbia.
Serbia’s Ministry of Interior confirmed the arrests of two Serbian citizens.
In a statement, police said that during searches of the suspects’ apartments they seized laptops, mobile phones, and a device for detecting and tracking radio frequency signals. One suspect was also found in possession of a handgun, leading to additional charges of illegal production, possession, carrying, and trafficking of weapons and explosive materials.
The training in the Serbian paramilitary camp was reportedly focused on responding in the event of an unfavorable electoral outcome for pro-Russian forces.
According to BIRN, the training was conducted by instructors from Russia and Belarus at the Sunčana Reka complex, located between Loznica and Banja Koviljača in western Serbia. The instructors allegedly traveled every 30 days from Serbia to Montenegro before returning to Loznica.
Groups of around 50 people are said to have arrived at the Sunčana Reka complex on at least four occasions in recent months, a BIRN source said.
According to the investigation, one of the arrested men is suspected of paying around €10,000 to the paramilitary instructors through his companies and slot machine cards.
One of those arrested, Lazar Popović, previously served as an advisor to Nenad Popović, Serbia’s current minister without portfolio in charge of international economic cooperation and the status of the church at home and abroad.
Marinika Tepić, vice-president of the Freedom and Justice Party, responded to Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s statement that Russia is undermining Sunday’s elections in her country by training people in Serbia to incite mass unrest. Tepić asked whether the Serbian state itself is involved, given that the training was allegedly organized and financed by Lazar Popović, described as an advisor to Minister Nenad Popović.Moldovan prosecutors and police announced that on 22 September they detained 74 people in a major operation on suspicion of preparing unrest ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Investigators say that, between June and September, groups of Moldovans aged 19 to 45 traveled to Serbia, where Russian instructors taught them how to break through police cordons, resist security forces, and use rubber batons, handcuffs, and even firearms.
Some reportedly entered Serbia under the guise of pilgrimages to Orthodox churches, only to be recruited for training in exchange for 400 euros per trip.
European Commission investigates training of Moldavians in Serbia
The EU has deployed its first hybrid rapid-response team to assist Moldova and plans to enhance measures against disinformation with a new program for media resilience.
The European Commission is aware of Russia’s attempts to influence Moldova’s September 28 parliamentary elections and is examining “how it was possible” that dozens of Moldovans were reportedly trained in Serbia in destabilization tactics, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told RFE.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, Kos praised the Moldovan government for uncovering the alleged plan, saying that “it has proven to be resilient and capable of fighting back the forces that would like to see this country going away from the European path or to see the European Union fail.”
Parliamentary elections will be held in Moldova on 28 September, widely seen as decisive for the political future of this EU candidate country. Polls predict a tight race between pro-European parties and those seeking to bring the former Soviet republic closer to Moscow.
