Serbian police on 26 September detained two men accused of organising “combat training” for dozens of protesters ahead of the 28 September parliamentary elections in Moldova.
The two men, identified only by initials and year of birth, are accused of organising and funding a police resistance exercise near the town of Loznica in western Serbia.
“The exercise allegedly took place between 16 July and 12 September for 150 to 170 Moldovan and Romanian citizens,” Serbian police said in a statement.
Moldovan authorities detained 74 people on September 22 in connection with their participation in a training programme for protesters in Serbia. According to investigators, Russia intended to train young Moldovans in Serbia in tactics to be used against police during post-election protests.
Pro-European authorities in Chisinau have repeatedly warned of Russian interference ahead of the election. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of paying “hundreds of people” to destabilise the country ahead of the 28 September vote, AFP reported.
Serbia, which is a candidate for EU membership, maintains close ties with the Kremlin and has refused to impose sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine.
Serbian police said they seized laptops, mobile phones and a radio frequency tracking device during a search of the suspects’ flat, and a gun was also found in the possession of one of the suspects.
According to the quoted source, the two suspects could be charged with organising participation in a war or armed conflict on the territory of a foreign state, which is prohibited by Serbian law.