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A Group Of People Have Been Detained In Serbia On Charges Of Plotting A Coup

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A Group Of People Have Been Detained In Serbia On Charges Of Plotting A Coup
Reuters illustrative photo

Among them is an agent of influence of the Russian FSB.

Six people were detained in Serbia on charges of preparing a coup d'état. According to the investigation, the detainees were planning attacks on officials and police officers, seizure of state buildings, radio, television and media editorial offices. This is reported on the MIA website.

Police did not name the detainees. Only initials are named. According to media reports, they are former chairman of the Serbian Military Trade Union Novica Antic, politician Ivan Matovic, retired captain Branko Momcilovic, former warrant officer Vidan Koljajic and former policeman Srdjan Gajovic. The name of another, introduced as V. K., is unknown.

Serbian media prepared a joint investigation, which suggests that the detainees planned to provoke a crowd of protesting students who were to be the main force behind the coup, and discussed the need for parity between protesters of different views.

Antić's arrest was confirmed to Radio Liberty's Balkan service by his lawyer. In 2023, an unnamed Western intelligence agency accused Novica Antic of working for the FSB, Politico wrote. The alleged Russian agent of influence reportedly met with European officials and lawmakers, including German lawmaker Viola von Kramon-Taubadel, Italian lawmaker Alessandra Moretti and Slovak lawmaker Vladimir Bilchik. They were all elected from different parties - the Greens, Socialists and Conservatives.

Antich also met with representatives of the EUROMIL and EPSU unions, which represent EU servicemen and officials, according to the publication. The intelligence service considered it unlikely that these people knew about Antich's work for the FSB.

According to the intelligence documents, Antich was recruited by Vyacheslav Kalinin, editor-in-chief of Veteranskie Vesti. The publication's website says that the editorial board actively cooperates with the Russian Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, and National Guard, and Kalinin himself received a certificate of honor from Russian President Vladimir Putin, "Real Time" notes.

Veteranskie Vesti" wrote quite a lot about Antic and published an open appeal in support of the Serbian veteran when he was detained in 2024. In total, the publication's archive contains 43 articles from 2017 to 2025 that mention Antic.

Information about the other detainees' ties to Russia could not be found. Matovic is a regional right-wing conservative pro-European politician, the others are veterans of the Balkan wars.

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