The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that three Russian citizens were involved in the tactical-military training camp for Moldovan citizens organized in western Serbia this summer. Vučić made the statement in Belgrade, on October 15, in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“I cannot affirm that a Russian intelligence service was involved, but we have established the presence of three Russian citizens in the Sunčana Reka camp, not far from Loznica,” said Vučić, responding to a question posed by the Serbian editorial staff of Free Europe, Radio Slobodna Evropa.
Moldovan authorities say that dozens of Moldovans were trained in Serbia for several months, before the Moldovan parliamentary elections on September 28, in camps organized by Russian secret services.
Just six days before the vote, the Moldovan police announced the detention of 74 people, suspected of preparing revolts before and after the scrutiny, in case of defeat of the pro-Russian political forces.
The President of Serbia reminded at the press conference that his country detained two Serbian citizens also suspected of involvement in organizing the camp. “They provided us with information about these individuals [the Russian citizens], and the investigation is ongoing,” said Vučić.
Russian traces, first confirmed by Serbian authorities
This is not the first time the President of Serbia confirms the existence of the camp, but it is the first time he confirms the involvement of the Russians and speaks about it in the presence of the head of the European Commission. Moscow has denied the accusations, and Serbian police and prosecutors have not mentioned Russia in their official statements so far.
In an interview given to Free Europe, on September 24, before the Moldovan elections, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, said that the European Union is analyzing “how it was possible” for dozens of Moldovans to be trained in Serbia in destabilization tactics.
“We are aware of this and, in this specific case, we are even analyzing now – who, when, and how it was possible,” said Kos in the interview, being asked about the statements of the Moldovan authorities about the training in the Balkan country.
Serbian investigative press, including the Serbian editorial staff of Free Europe, discovered at the beginning of October that the training camp was located in the Sunčana Reka tourist complex near Loznica, and also the fact that it was visited by Russians, forcing the Serbian authorities to react.
See in the animation below the location on the map of the complex.