Pro-Russian network in Serbia, BBC: Organizations linked to the Kremlin and the Serbian government are spreading propaganda and influence

Messages about Serbian-Russian "brotherhood", rooted in Orthodoxy, the joint fight against Nazism during World War II, and opposition to the "threat from the West", continue to accompany relations between Serbia and Russia.

In addition to the media and statements by officials, these messages are also spread through joint activities of Serbian and Russian organizations, many of which are not widely known by the public.

According to data from the Serbian Business Registry Agency, there are dozens of Serbian-Russian associations in the country. Some of them actively cooperate with organizations from Russia that are under European Union sanctions, such as Pravfond.

The EU accuses Pravfond of spreading Russian propaganda, while the organization claims to help Russians abroad. According to the Council of Europe, “Pravfond’s legal and analytical work is systematically used to reinforce the Kremlin’s main disinformation,” including claims of the “Nazification” of Ukraine and “Russophobia” in neighboring countries.

Russian authorities have denied the allegations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the fund “helps compatriots in difficulty” and “works honestly and openly.”

Serbia, a candidate for EU membership for more than a decade, remains – alongside Belarus – the only one in Europe that has not imposed sanctions on Russia after the start of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

However, Belgrade has been criticized by Moscow several times in 2025 for exporting weapons to Ukraine. Relations between the two countries have also been strained by the sale of a majority Russian stake in the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS), a key company for the Serbian economy.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is among the rare European leaders to have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the start of the war in Ukraine.

According to a 2016 analysis by the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies, there were 109 organizations in Serbia promoting Serbian-Russian relations. These include Russian citizens' associations, non-governmental organizations, foundations, political parties, and the media.

Ten years later, the situation remains similar, according to the PES registry data.

Srdjan Cvijic from the Belgrade Center for Security Policy says that these organizations are created to enable Russia to exert influence not only on the government, but also on all of Serbian society.

"We see that it is not necessary for the Russians themselves to spread anti-Western messages in Serbia - this is mainly done by the government and the media under its control," Cvijić told BBC Serbian.

What is Pravfond?

Pravfond was founded in 2012 by decree of then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, with the aim of providing legal assistance and support to Russians abroad.

According to published data, the organization had a budget of $4.2 million in 2025. Investigations by international media show that from 2012 to 2024, Pravfond allocated more than 1.000 grants to organizations outside Russia.

The investigative network OCCRP reported that some of these funds were used for the legal defense of people accused of espionage, crimes, and spreading Russian propaganda.

Pravfond has also funded media projects and publications that justify the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries and promote pro-Russian narratives.

Pravfond and Serbia

Pravfond cooperates with the Center for Legal Assistance to Compatriots in Serbia and the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots.

At several rallies organized in Belgrade, allegations of "Russophobia" and "the destruction of Russian culture" were mentioned.

The "Naisus" association from Niš, part of this council, participates in the publication of the magazine "Slovo Juga" in Serbian and Russian, with financial support from Pravfond.

The Russki Mir Foundation, which is also under EU sanctions for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supports the Russian edition of the magazine.

Pravfond has also participated in organizing events in Serbia, including the roundtable "Russia, Ukraine and Balkan Parallels", where, according to Russian media, it was stated that "the West today is waging war against Russia just as it did against Serbia in the 90s."

On the eve of Victory Day on May 9, 2026, Russian Ambassador Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko and Serbian Minister Milica Gjurgjević Stamenkovski laid wreaths at the monument to fallen Soviet soldiers in Belgrade.

The Russian ambassador stated that "Russia and Serbia will continue cooperation in preserving the memory of World War II and opposing the falsification of history."

The Serbian government and ties with Russia

Analyses show that Pravfond's activities are focused mainly on the Baltic countries, Georgia and Belarus, where large Russian communities live.

However, analysts estimate that Serbia has strategic importance for Moscow due to the friendly attitude of the government and a large part of public opinion towards Russia.

Cvijic says that Russia is using Serbia as a "Trojan horse" in its confrontation with the West, to hinder EU expansion and integration processes in the Balkans.

According to Eurobarometer surveys, citizens in Serbia have the lowest level of trust in the European Union, while positive attitudes towards Russia remain high.

Despite being criticized by Brussels, President Vučić attended the military parade in Moscow in 2025. /Today