A Russian, who was extradited from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Poland on suspicion of preparing sabotage against Poland, the United States and other allies, was earlier identified as a man engaged in training of pro-Russian Moldovans in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serb entity (RS), local media outlets said on Friday.

Russian Alexander Bezrukovni, was arrested in November 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina on suspicion that he was one of instructors who was illegally training pro-Russia Moldavian activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serb-majority entity, Republika Srpska.

Bezrukovni was arrested in the town of Bosanska Krupa, the Una-Sana Canton police in the Croat-Bosniak shared part, the Federation BiH, then stated. The operation of his apprehension was conducted in cooperation with Bosnia's Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA) which had been secretly spying on his movements.

The Russian has been also on the Interpol wanted list, the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz stated upon his arrest in northwestern Bosnia.

Security services in Bosnia and Herzegovina have gathered information that he was training a group of Moldovan citizens in Banja Luka, with the aim of preparing them for protests and violent actions against the pro-European government of the country, in order to prevent constitutional amendments that were supposed to confirm the permanent commitment to EU membership.

The training in the Republika Srpska entity was conducted by foreign instructors linked to paramilitary groups such as “Wagner” and “Ferma,” while some participants were selected for “advanced training” in guerrilla camps held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Serbia. Most of this training allegedly took place from the beginning of September to mid-October.

The leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, has persistently denied the existence of such training camps, calling the information lies and fabrications.

Poland requests Bezrukovni's handover

“A Russian citizen suspected of coordinating acts of sabotage against Poland, the United States and other allies was deported to Poland from Bosnia and Herzegovina and arrested by a court order,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X on Friday.

Last month, a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina reviewed a Polish request to extradite a Russian citizen on charges of sabotage, Reuters reported.

Earlier in January, Tusk said Russia had planned “acts of terrorism” in the air against Poland and other countries.

Security officials have said that parcels which exploded at logistics depots in Europe were part of a test run for a Russian plot to trigger explosions on cargo flights to the United States. The explosions occurred in depots in Britain, Germany and Poland in July.

“The Kremlin said the allegations by Tusk that Russia had planned “acts of terrorism” in the air against Poland and other countries was completely unsubstantiated,” says Reuters.

In a separate post on X, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said on Friday the suspect's arrest and deportation were “a serious blow to the Russian sabotage network in Europe.”