Russia in the Balkans Archives

Discrediting the international courts before which Russia and its citizens are accused is a long-standing disinformation strategy of the Kremlin. This strategy seeks to shield the government from accountability and portray Ukraine as the perpetrator of crimes. Media and fact-checking experts discuss several examples of these narratives with Detektor, emphasizing that such tactics undermine the authority of judicial institutions.

Revelations that a government agency in Republika Srpska has agreed to open a ‘media school’ with an EU-sanctioned Russian propaganda tool shows Moscow is upping its information warfare in the Balkans.

This month, we’ll be explaining Milorad Dodik’s hopeful efforts to rid himself of American sanctions and extend his political life, but also his promises that Republika Srpska will secede.

With help from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik has been building international with right-wing and pro-Russian politicians worldwide. Now right-wing triumphs in several European elections have convinced him that Donald Trump will win the US polls and take him off the American sanctions list.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser for sanctions told BIRN that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should do more to tackle Russian-linked schemes intended to dodge Western-imposed sanctions against Moscow.

Immediately after the closing of the Olympic Games in Paris, where Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won a gold medal, she filed a legal complaint to a Paris court against social media platform X about the harassment to which she was subjected in a wave of online comments about her gender after her first bout.

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More than half a million people follow pro-Russian Telegram channels covering the Balkans in Serbian and Russian languages. Followers are being urged to donate military equipment to Russia and join military units composed of citizens of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Ukrainian frontline, Detektor’s analysis shows.

In this edition of TV Justice, we’re bringing you a story about the so-called Law on Foreign Agents. In Russia, this is a law that sanctions and shuts down media outlets, and sends activists, as well as members of the public who dare to oppose the authorities, to prison.

This month, we bring you the story of how we discovered the identity of a man from the town of Modrica who, despite a legal ban, went to fight for the Russian army as it destroys Ukrainian towns one by one and kills civilians.

A Bosnian Serb former martial arts fighter has been posting videos and pictures online, documenting his new life as a volunteer soldier with a Russian unit fighting in Ukraine. BIRN was able to track his posts, following his journey to the frontline.

Russia in the Balkans

How Russia Uses Disinformation to Undermine International Justice

Putin’s Messenger: Russia’s Rybar to Open Media ‘School’ in Bosnia’s Serb Entity

TV Justice: Dodik’s dream of lifting sanctions in the Belgrade ruins

Dodik’s Dream of Trump Triumph Boosted by Right-Wing Advances

Bosnia Should Probe Russian Sanctions-Busting: Ukrainian Official

Algerian Boxer Sues Social Network X Over Hate Speech on Pro-Russian Accounts

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels in the Balkans gain ground in Recruitment and Disinformation War

Episode 162: ‘Russian Law’ That Shook Georgia Has Echoes in Republika Srpska

Episode 161: Dario’s Journey – From Sportsman in Modrica to Russian volunteer in Ukraine

From Bosnia to Ukraine: How a Serb Sportsman Became a Russian Fighter

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