A Serbian court has sentenced a man to one year of home detention after he admitted to transporting a long-range combat drone equipped with explosives, in a case linked to an organized group suspected of preparing sabotage operations in European Union countries on behalf of Russia.
The Higher Court in Subotica sentenced D.A. after he reached a plea agreement with the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Subotica on September 8. The court issued the sentence three days later, according to an anonymized judgment obtained by Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL).
D.A. was convicted of the unauthorized production, possession, carrying and trafficking of weapons and explosive materials in co-perpetration. He had not previously been convicted of a crime and was described in the judgment as a retired person.
According to the judgment, D.A. agreed to transport the explosive-laden drone in exchange for €500. The operation allegedly took place between an unspecified date in May and May 29, 2026, when he delivered the device to another suspect.
The judgment states that the drone was a long-range FPV-type combat drone equipped with components associated with an explosive payload. The destination was not disclosed in the anonymized court document.
Investigation Into Seven-Member Group
D.A. is one of seven people investigated by Serbian authorities in connection with explosives discovered in April in the municipality of Kanjiža, near the Serbian-Hungarian border.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Subotica previously said the group had allegedly secured and stored explosives, explosive devices and drones in Serbia before transferring them toward EU countries.
Among those under investigation are Serbian citizens Danilo B. and Slobodan Đ., whom German media have linked to alleged plans to carry out a bombing in Germany on behalf of Russia.
The Serbian authorities have not publicly detailed the specific allegations against the two men. German media reports, however, have described them as alleged “one-time agents” of Russian intelligence services.
Explosives Found Near Russian Gas Pipeline
The investigation followed the discovery in April of explosives near the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in the Kanjiža area, close to the Serbian-Hungarian border.
Serbia’s Military Security Agency said on April 5 that explosives and equipment allegedly intended for sabotage had been discovered. The Subotica prosecutor’s office said two backpacks containing around four kilograms of a substance believed to be plastic explosive were found.
The incident occurred about a week before Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has maintained close relations with Moscow, indirectly accused Ukraine of attempting sabotage, while Serbian authorities rejected that possibility.
Alleged Links to Germany
In June, Danilo B. and Slobodan Đ. were arrested near Subotica on a road toward the Hungarian border.
German media have reported that investigators were examining possible links between the two Serbian nationals and an alleged sabotage plot in Germany. German authorities have not publicly confirmed the full details of those reports.
The case has also been linked in media reports to an incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, when a drone carrying an explosive device was reportedly found near the area used by Ukrainian cargo aircraft.
According to German media reports cited by RFE/RL, investigators have examined possible contacts between the Serbian suspects and individuals connected to the Leipzig investigation. One of those allegedly involved is Russian national Oleg L., who has been linked in media reports to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.
A Belarusian national, identified as Andrei K., has also been linked to the German investigation.
The broader European investigations have included suspected sabotage operations and attacks targeting logistics infrastructure and facilities connected to aid or military supplies for Ukraine.
Previous Convictions Over Alleged Russian Espionage
The latest case follows other prosecutions in Serbia involving alleged Russian intelligence activities.
At the end of 2025, three Serbian citizens — Aleksandar Savić, Filip Petrović and Nemanja Ćevap — were convicted in Serbia in a case involving alleged espionage for Russia and incidents targeting Jewish and Muslim communities in France and Germany.
According to court documents reviewed by RFE/RL, the group carried out four operations between April and September 2025 that prosecutors said were intended to increase tensions in Germany and France.
The latest conviction adds to a series of investigations across Europe into alleged Russian-linked sabotage and influence operations, although allegations against individuals in ongoing investigations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
