An investigation into an alleged Russian-linked paramilitary training camp discovered near the Drina River in western Serbia in September 2025 remains ongoing, with no indictment filed so far, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Šabac has told Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL).
The prosecutor’s office said proceedings are underway against two individuals suspected of jointly organizing participation in a war or armed conflict in a foreign country.
The suspects are Lazar Popović, from Belgrade, and Sava Stevanović, from Loznica. According to previous RFE/RL reporting, both have links to Nenad Popović, a pro-Russian minister without portfolio in the Serbian government. Lazar Popović previously served as his adviser, while Stevanović was a member of Popović’s Serbian People’s Party (SNP) before joining Healthy Serbia, a party within the ruling coalition.
Investigators suspect that the combat and tactical training organized at the Sunčana Reka hospitality complex near Loznica was intended to prepare foreign nationals to resist Moldovan police in the event of unrest during Moldova’s parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025.
Suspects Released After Arrests
Lazar Popović and Stevanović were arrested on September 26, 2025, two days before Moldova’s parliamentary elections. Popović was released from detention in February 2026, while Stevanović was released in mid-October 2025.
The elections in Moldova pitted the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) against a bloc of pro-Russian parties.
On the day of the arrests, Moldovan police released a video they said showed “military camps in Serbia organized by the Russian secret service.” More than 70 people were detained in Moldova, many of whom were suspected of having received training in Serbia. They were accused of preparing mass unrest and attempts to destabilize the country ahead of the vote.
According to Serbian police, the training took place at the Sunčana Reka complex near Loznica and involved between 150 and 170 Moldovan and Romanian nationals.
Following the arrests, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Serbia “must not be a training ground for the activities of foreign intelligence services.”
Moldova has accused Russia of waging hybrid warfare, conducting disinformation campaigns and illegally financing pro-Russian parties. The Kremlin has denied interfering in Moldova’s electoral process.
Other Investigations Into Suspected Russian Links
The camp investigation is among several cases in Serbia involving individuals suspected of links to Russian intelligence services.
Prosecutors in Subotica, in northern Serbia, are investigating a group suspected of storing explosives, explosive devices and drones on Serbian territory before transferring them toward European Union countries. Investigators have linked the case to suspected Russian-directed sabotage operations across Europe.
In September, a person connected to that case was sentenced by the Higher Court in Subotica to one year of house arrest after agreeing, in exchange for payment, to transport a long-range combat drone carrying explosive devices.
Investigators have linked the case to Russian intelligence services and an incident in early August near Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, where a drone carrying an explosive device was found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft.
Separately, three people were convicted in late 2025 of espionage on behalf of Russia and of provoking incidents targeting Jewish and Muslim communities in France and Germany. Proceedings against eight other members of the same group remain under investigation.
The ongoing cases have drawn attention to allegations that Serbian territory has been used for activities linked to Russian intelligence operations. However, the investigation into the alleged training camp near Loznica remains open, and the two suspects have not been indicted, according to the prosecutor’s office.
