Serbian authorities have confirmed that three Russian citizens were present at a combat-tactical training camp in western Serbia attended by nationals of Moldova and Romania, President Aleksandar Vučić announced on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vučić said the camp was located at “Sunčana Reka” near Loznica, and that investigations are ongoing.
“I cannot claim that it was organized by Russian intelligence services, but we have established the presence of three Russian nationals at the camp. We detained several Serbian citizens who were accessible to us, and they provided information about those involved. The investigation continues,” Vučić said.
The statement follows recent arrests on September 26, when Serbian police detained two individuals accused of organizing combat training for Moldovan and Romanian citizens with the alleged aim of inciting unrest in Moldova.
Authorities in Chișinău had earlier warned of such camps being organized by Russian secret services to destabilize Moldova during its recent elections. Moscow has denied all allegations, while Serbian law enforcement and prosecutors have so far avoided mentioning Russia in official statements.
According to Serbian police, the training sessions were conducted between July 16 and September 12 at a hospitality complex near Loznica and involved between 150 and 170 Moldovan and Romanian nationals.
This is not the first time Moldova has alerted international partners about alleged Russian paramilitary activities in the Western Balkans. Ahead of the 2024 elections, Moldovan officials reported the existence of similar training programs in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, allegedly run by individuals linked to Russian paramilitary groups.
Moldova has since informed the European Union about the latest case.
