Dodik claims there are no Russian camps in RS – US embassy expresses concern over instability

The President of Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, has misinformed by falsely claiming that there are no Russian training camps in RS.

Dodik said:

“I deny that there are camps. It was never our activity. Everything they have told us so far was a lie. Russia is only behind the Dayton Agreement. We have understood very well what it means to stand behind the Dayton Peace Agreement. Russia’s position is that it stands behind the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

https://novimagazin.rs/svet/region/336872-dodik-laz-je-da-u-rs-ima-ruskih-kampova-za-obuku-moldavac

Analysis:

Reports of possible Russian activities in the RS come not only from Moldovan sources, but also from foreign intelligence services.

According to the Moldovan police report, the training was conducted by foreign instructors linked to paramilitary groups such as “Wagner” and “Ferma”, while at the same time some participants were selected for “more advanced training” in guerrilla camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

https://www.rferl.org/a/bosnia-arrest-russian-national-training-camps-moldovans-unrests-sandu-election

https://www.cei.int/ansa/

The American Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina also expressed concern about this information and emphasized that such camps could pose a serious threat to the stability of the Balkans.

https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/moldavija-rusija-kampovi-bih-neredi-obuka

Since the beginning of Moscow’s occupation of Ukraine, incidents of Russian sabotage and election interference have been on the rise, with new reports emerging all the time.

Moldovan authorities recently accused Russia of interfering in the upcoming presidential elections and the EU accession referendum, planning to send voters by bus to the Moldovan embassy in Moscow to manipulate the results.

This is not the first report indicating that Russian-funded paramilitary groups have been training in Republika Srpska. Last year, Bosnian Defense Minister Zukan Helez said that Russian-backed paramilitary camps had been discovered in the country.

Ministar odbrane BiH: Na području Rogatice i Maglića postoje vojni kampovi za obuku

/G. Venhari