Network of pro-Russian mercenaries who fought in Ukraine busted by Montenegrin police

Savic, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina who resides in Montenegro, had €1.5 million euros in his bank account, which Montenegrin police believe he acquired during his time with Russian forces.

Savic was arrested in a coordinated operation codenamed "Luhansk," and during searches of residential and other premises he used, police seized 12.2 kilograms of explosives, several dozen rounds of ammunition of various calibres, night-vision optics, gun-cleaning equipment, radios, a signal pistol, as well as parts of firearms.

It is reported that the operation has so far involved 12 individuals, and police searched 13 locations in Danilovgrad, Niksic, and Podgorica.

Confiscated items include: 24 firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, multiple magazines, nine knives, sabres, and bayonets, as well as uniforms, flags, and other insignia of formation organisations and groups, stated Montenegrin police.

Among the confiscated items were numerous military uniforms, body armour, helmets, SIM cards, communication devices, and identification cards of the Montenegrin Cossack Brotherhood, often bearing different names.

Material evidence, police say, indicates that Savic participated in foreign military units and groups  of the Russian Federation in Luhansk from early 2023 to early 2025. It is suspected that his involvement was motivated by financial gain and that it was during this period that he acquired the disputed sum of 1.5 million euros.

This is not the first time Savic has come under police scrutiny. He was also arrested in June 2025, when 12 kilograms of explosives packaged as a belt were found in his home. At that time, criminal charges were filed against him for the illegal possession of weapons and explosives.

Media reports have previously stated that Savic is a former member of the Yugoslav Army. He has publicly identified himself as a Cossack leader, linking himself to the Balkan Cossack Army, an organisation allegedly connected to the Central Cossack Army of Russia, which is close to President Vladimir Putin.

Media: Operation coordinated with  intelligence services of two NATO members

Montenegrin TV E reports that the "Luhansk" operation was coordinated with the intelligence services of two NATO member states, and that, based on information from Western agencies, police searched properties of individuals belonging to the "Balkan Cossack Army," the "Montenegrin Cossack Brotherhood," as well as the "Night Wolves" organisation.

The media outlet notes that these organisations are close to the Serbian Orthodox Church, a connection that was revealed during the forcible inauguration of Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) bishop in Montenegro, Joanikije Micovic, on 5 September 2021, when members of these organisations participated in securing the monastery in Cetinje where the enthronement of the SPC bishop for Montenegro in a monastery in Cetinje had been conducted with the use of force.