EditMilitant camps in Balkans help Moscow bring back Moldova into Its orbit
In Serbia and in Sepublika Srprska, training facilities for conducting hybrid war were uncovered by the Moldovan services
Russia seeks to leverage the critical parliamentary elections in Moldova on 28 September to reassert its influence over Chișinău, EUalive partner European Pravda writes.
Last year’s presidential election and EU accession referendum were marred by unprecedented Russian interference, including a sophisticated operation to train operatives in the Balkans for destabilising Moldova.
While authorities thwarted immediate threats, the Russian-backed network remains active, raising concerns about future attempts to undermine Moldova’s pro-European trajectory.
Uncovering a Russian plot
On 17 October, 2024, three days before Moldova’s presidential election, Moldovan law enforcement exposed a plot to destabilise the country. The Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) conducted dozens of searches, identifying over 100 individuals trained to incite mass unrest.
Pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor (Șor), previously listed by the EU for illegal political party financing and incitement to violence, allegedly funded trips for Moldovan citizens to Moscow for protest tactic training, with select individuals sent for advanced instruction in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
In Serbia, a training camp forconducting hybrid war against Moldova was uncovered near the village of Radenka , equipped with drones, StarLink systems, radio stations and explosives.
In BiH’s Republika Srpska entity, a facility focused on theoretical training for organising and dispersing protests was identified. Instructors linked to Russia’s Wagner group and similar private military structures taught crowd psychology, weapons handling, explosive device manufacturing, and drone operations.
Bosnian authorities arrested Russian citizen Aleksandr Bezrukovnyi in November 2024, based on a Polish Interpol warrant for sabotage activities targeting Poland, the U.S., and other allies.
Bezrukovnyi, who attempted to flee BiH with Spanish documents, was tied to the training network, though not listed among the 11 instructors named by Moldovan authorities. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed the arrest as a blow to Russia’s subversive operations in Europe.
Ongoing investigations and new revelations
Moldova’s Prosecutor for Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) charged in April three individuals – two women and one man, who trained in the Balkans and were detained at the border in autumn 2024 with drones, explosive-delivery equipment, and manuals for making explosives.
A joint investigation by Balkan Investigative Reporting Network and Moldovan outlet CU SENS revealed further details through Maksym Roshka, a prosecution witness who participated in the training.
Roshka described military, sports, and psychological training, including drone operation, in camps in Serbia and Republika Srpska. Recruits, promised $300–$500 for 10 days via cryptocurrency payments, surrendered phones and passports during training.
Roshka was recruited by Anatoliy Pryzenko, a Moldovan businessman previously linked to a 2023 Russian operation in France, where Moldovan citizens painted Stars of David on Jewish homes in Paris.
The EU sanctioned Pryzenko in December 2024 for his role in Russia’s destabilising activities. He was arrested in Chișinău on 12 February, charged with complicity in organising mass unrest.
EU bolsters sanctions on pro-Russian groups undermining Moldova
Vitaliy Kishko, a PCCOCS prosecutor, emphasized Pryzenko’s key role in recruiting and selecting trainees for paramilitary camps.
“He had a higher position compared to those directly trained,” Kishko told journalists, noting that investigations continue to identify all involved individuals.
The number of trainees is believed to be significant, with ongoing efforts to uncover the full network.
The Balkans’ role as a training ground highlights Russia’s strategy to exploit regional vulnerabilities for hybrid warfare. Serbian and Republika Sprpska’s authorities’ actions suggest growing regional cooperation against such threats, yet the network’s persistence poses risks.
Sarajevo-based security expert Nedžad Ahatović noted that Bezrukovnyi’s arrest disrupted one logistical corridor, but other Russian-backed centers may still operate in Europe.
Moldova’s upcoming elections are a critical flashpoint. Russia’s aim to derail Moldova’s EU integration and pro-Ukrainian stance remains evident, with the active network potentially preparing for new destabilisation efforts.
Moldovan authorities, supported by international partners, continue to investigate, but the threat of Russian interference looms large.
Other source used: article by Nataliia Ishchenko, Balkan Observer’s editor: A school for pro-Russian saboteurs: how a coup was prepared in Moldova and what the Balkans have to do with it.
Updated: July 22, 2025 - 07:04
