BiH prosecution continues investigation into Russian-run training camps for Moldovan nationals

“In recent months, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, through the Institute of International Legal Assistance, contacted partner institutions in Moldova regarding allegations of activities by Moldovan nationals in BiH and alleged criminal offences,” the office said in a written statement.

The statement did not specify the date of the outreach but noted that, to date, no response has been received from Moldovan authorities. The confirmation follows the opening of a case at the BiH Prosecutor’s Office in mid-July 2025, first reported by Detektor. At the time, details regarding the stage of the case involving the Russian camps, discovered at the end of 2024, were not disclosed.

Requests for assistance from Moldova’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs remain unanswered.

Earlier reporting by Detektor, in collaboration with Moldovan outlet CU SENS, revealed the organisational structure of the camps. Participants said that near Banja Luka, they were trained in organising mass protests and provoking police. Some instructors were reportedly linked to the Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organisation notorious for crimes in Ukraine, Africa, and Syria.

In a recent hearing in Chișinău, previously convicted killer Vladimir Harcevnicov testified that he travelled from Moldova via Serbia to BiH, where he assisted in assembling, programming, and calibrating drones, and participated in training ranging from drone operation to Molotov cocktail preparation.

Authorities in Republika Srpska and the Russian Embassy in BiH have denied the camps’ existence despite evidence.

While the BiH investigation focuses on gathering information, court hearings in Moldova continue, with participants describing physical abuse, alcohol use, movement restrictions, blackmail, and other details regarding camp operations and participants’ behaviour. The camps have been located in Glamocani, a village north of Banja Luka near the former Zalužani military airport.

In September, Moldovan police arrested 74 people, some reportedly connected to Russian criminal networks, suspected of preparing to incite mass unrest. Russian instructors are alleged to have trained them in Serbia between July and September 2025. Serbian police have arrested Lazar Popovic from Belgrade and Sava Stevanovic from Loznica for allegedly organising and funding the tactical training.

BIRN Serbia reported that groups of around 50 participants visited the Suncana Reka tourist complex in Banja Koviljaca, on the Drina River, at least four times in recent months.

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