BiH defence minister urges faster probe into alleged Russia-linked paramilitary camps

His appeal, quoted on Friday by Sarajevo daily Oslobođenje, follows information emerging from similar investigations conducted in Moldova, which recently faced a direct threat of violent incidents during the latest presidential election campaign and ahead of a referendum on the country's ambition to join the EU.

A trial is under way in Chișinău against Moldovan national Vladimir Harcevnicov, who told the court he travelled via Serbia to BiH, where he took part in tactical training ranging from assembling, calibrating and programming drones to making Molotov cocktails.

Harcevnicov, previously convicted of murder, was arrested on 11 October 2024 on the Romanian-Moldovan border together with Maxim Rosca, Aliona Gotco and Ludmila Costenco. Except for Rosca, all are now charged with preparing to destabilise the state.

He travelled to BiH for the training on the recommendation of a Vladimir Firsov.

"Some guys met me in Serbia. They took me to the bus station and put me on a bus to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some guys met me there and took me to a hotel, or a house, I don't know, where I spent one night. From there we went to a tent camp," he told the court, explaining that the final training site was overseen by a Russian instructor he knew as Viktor.

Rosca, who was a driver, testified about a camp "near Banja Luka" where he saw 12 people. He said they were trained to be ready to react "if we don't want a war like the one in Ukraine to happen in Moldova".

Participants were paid up to US$500 for 10 days of training, which Moldovan authorities see as exploitation of their citizens' poor economic circumstances.

BiH's Prosecutor's Office confirmed to the Detektor news portal that it had requested information from its Moldovan counterparts regarding the alleged Russian-run camps in BiH and was still awaiting a reply.

"We need to establish who hosted these people who were being trained in our country. Someone had to provide them with infrastructure and support. No one can simply come from another state and open such camps on their own, without the help of certain local, influential people," Helez said.

In February, BiH extradited Russian national Alexander Bezrukovni to Poland after arresting him on an international warrant. Polish authorities suspect him of coordinating attacks against Poland, the United States, Germany and other Western allies.

Helez first warned in 2023 of camps under Russian control on the territory of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity in BiH, claims dismissed at the time by Russia's embassy and officials in Banja Luka.

He now says Moldova's investigations confirm he was right to alert the public to the risk posed by Russian-linked camps. "These camps were registered and, unfortunately, discovered by the services of another country before by our own institutions, which are responsible for such investigations. We should be concerned when our agencies are slow to act, and when such things become public you are exposed to various kinds of attacks."