More than 200 Russians, including former FSB agents, sanctioned oligarchs and war profiteers, have been granted Serbian citizenship by a special decision of the Serbian government, bypassing the regular procedure, according to a survey by KRIK and the Russian portal Važne priče.
According to KRIK, the citizenships were granted on the grounds that it was “in the national interest”, even though many of them are linked to Russian security structures and military activities in Ukraine.
Ivan Sibirev, the owner of a company sanctioned in Ukraine for profiteering, was granted citizenship, as was Viktor Shendrik, a former FSB special agent and bodyguard of Russian oligarchs who supported pro-Russian extremist groups.
KRIK also highlights the case of Dmitry Sergeyev, linked to the FSB and a close associate of Alexander Vulin in monitoring the Russian opposition in Belgrade.
KRIK and the Russian portal Važne priče by investigating government decisions from 2022 to April 2025, identified 204 cases in which Russian citizens became Serbs bypassing the prescribed conditions – without being obliged to stay in Serbia, without giving up their Russian passport, and without transparent criteria.
According to the survey, these individuals were not obliged to fulfil the usual conditions, such as residency in Serbia. Researcher Ilja Shumanov believes that this practice could be part of a political deal between Belgrade and Moscow. The Serbian government did not respond to journalists’ questions.
/The Geopost/
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