Main image: The camp’s location in Serbia. Photo: BIRN
Russia has established training bases in the Balkans to destabilize the situation in Moldova, according to a joint investigation by BIRN and the Moldovan Center for Strategic Studies CU SENS, as reported by the Balkan Insight.
Journalists report that Russian agents organized camps in Bosnia and Serbia where Moldovan citizens underwent training. The courses included combat training, drone operation, psychological preparation, and riot scenarios. According to Moldovan sources, the exercises took place ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, in which the pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu defeated the pro-Russian candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo.
One of the recruited individuals was 41-year-old Maksim Roshka. According to him, the offer came from a family acquaintance — Anatoly Prizenko, who proposed “self-defense training.” Roshka agreed and went to the training camps, first in the Republika Srpska and then to the Serbian village of Radenka. There he met other Moldovans whose phones and passports were confiscated. Participants were promised payment of $300 to $500, including in cryptocurrency. Later, Roshka witnessed a court trial of three other group members accused of preparing mass riots.
The investigation claims that Russian instructors linked to the Wagner mercenary group trained Moldovans from August to October 2024. According to MP Liliana Carp, Moldovan authorities know the exact camp locations, instructors’ names, and training details. Prizenko, believed to be a key organizer, was arrested in February 2025 in Chișinău. He is already under EU sanctions for involvement in Kremlin information operations, including organizing an antisemitic provocation in France.
During a vehicle search involving Roshka and four other Moldovan citizens, drones, VR headsets, radio equipment, and bomb-making instructions were found. The Bosnian prosecutor’s office initially denied the existence of camps but later opened a criminal case. Meanwhile, three Moldovan camp participants — Kharchenikov, Hotko, and Kostenko — stood trial. Hotko, a Russian citizen from Transnistria, claims the case against her is politically motivated. Kostenko says she was just on vacation with her son.
BIRN reports recruitment took place at paintball tournaments in Moldova. When inspecting the Radenka camp site in February, remnants of tents, burnt papers, drones, Starlink equipment, and flammable liquids were found. Among other suspects is Bulgarian neo-Nazi Mircho Angelov, previously noted at the training sessions. The suspect list also includes Mikhail Potepkin and Konstantin Goloskokov, both under Western sanctions. Potepkin confirmed his identity but declined to be interviewed. Coordinators also named include Andrey Becker and Alexander Volkhonsky, linked to Wagner operations in Africa.
Pro-Russian representatives in Moldova and Republika Srpska continue to deny the training’s existence. Parliament Vice-Speaker Vlad Batryncha stated no evidence has been presented and the story is politically motivated. Nonetheless, Moldovan prosecutors and security experts believe the operation is backed by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, who is hiding in Russia. Prosecutor Vitaly Kiska said Moldova has not yet contacted Bosnian authorities but intends to during the investigation. Bosnian prosecutors confirmed they have launched their own probe into these facts.
