Russian interferenceRussian nationalists tried to topple pro-West Montenegro government
Montenegro said that Russian nationalists were behind a coup attempt in Montenegro. The coups involved assassinating the pro-Western prime minister because of his government’s support for joining NATO, and install a pro-Russian coalition to run the country. Moscow has openly supported what it called the “patriotic parties” in Montenegro which oppose Montenegro becoming a member of NATO. Serbia has deported an undisclosed number of Russian diplomates and operatives who were monitoring the Montenegro prime minister’s movements from Serbian territory.
Montenegro’s chief special prosecutor said that Russian nationalists were behind a coup attempt in Montenegro. The coups involved assassinating the pro-Western prime minister because of his government’s support for joining NATO.
Milivoje Katnić said an investigation, which was conducted in collaboration with Serbia, concluded that “nationalists from Russia” organized a criminal group, planned to break into the Montenegrin parliament on election day, kill the prime minister Milo Đukanović, and install a pro-Russian coalition to run the country.
DW reports that about twenty Serbian and Montenegrin citizens, including a former commander of Serbia’s special police forces, were arrested in Montenegro on 16 October. Fourteen remain in custody, including some who have fought in the ranks of pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Russia officially denies any involvement in the coup attempt, but Moscow has openly supported what it called the “patriotic parties” in Montenegro which oppose Montenegro becoming a member of NATO.
Katnić told reporters: “We don’t have any evidence that the state of Russia is involved in any sense … But we have evidence that two nationalists from Russia were organizers.”
Serbia, in the meantime, has deported an undisclosed number of Russian diplomates and operatives who were monitoring Đukanović’s movements from Serbian territory.
“Special prosecution of Serbia had those persons under its supervision … and prevented them from realizing their plan,” Katnić said. “Those persons are not on the territory of Serbia any more. I don’t know where they are now, in Russia or somewhere else.”
The chief special prosecutor said fifty people were planning to enter Montenegro on election night to “cause violence … and hire professional sharpshooters to kill the prime minister” as part of the planned coup.
“The plan was to stop Montenegro on its Euro-Atlantic path, especially to prevent it from entering NATO,” Katnić said.
Russia has strongly objected to Montenegro joining NATO. Montenegro’s accession would see Russia losing strategic access to the Adriatic Sea and an ally in the Balkans.
NATO’s deputy secretary general, Rose Gottemoeller, said she expects the country to become a member of the alliance in spring 2017, after the twenty-eight NATO member states ratify the agreement in their parliaments.
