The loyalty of Serbia’s pro-Russian right-wingers toward Russian President Vladimir Putin has been challenged by the Prigozhin mutiny.

Serbia’s ruling politicians have long attempted to maintain a delicate balance between the East and the West, a task that became considerably more difficult after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

This balancing act has now extended to the rightwing opposition, which apparently found itself caught off guard when Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner PMC paramilitary group, took the city of Rostov-on-Don and announced plans to march on Moscow. 

There was an awkward media silence, especially from Serbian politicians who align with Moscow, as the mutiny unfolded and Prighozin addressed the Russian public from the military base in Rostov-on-Don. 

“What do Putin's domestic propagandists say about the situation in Russia?” Asking where are the “bots” [a derogatory term for those pushing the state propaganda],” wrote Stevan Dojcinovic from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) on Twitter on June 24. 

“Something is wrong”

Top Serbian government officials only commented on June 25 — the day after Prigozhin halted the approach to Moscow and agreed to relocate to Belarus under a deal struck with Putin. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said on June 25 that it is “surprising how they [the Russian authorities] allowed the paramilitary bodies to become such an important factor in the defence”, and that “something is wrong”. Dacic added that this is an internal question of the Russian Federation and that President Aleksandar Vucic will have further comments, N1 reported.

Vucic later came out with a more spirited defence of the Russian president. During his appearance on TV Pink on June 25, Vucic claimed that he suspects “foreign interference” in the alleged coup and said that Putin “personally stopped all of this, otherwise, no one would have been able to stop it”. Vucic added that Serbia will not support a military coup in any country. 

Right-wingers baffled

Narodna Patrola (People’s Patrol), a far right-wing organisation in Serbia, stated on its Telegram channel that it has “chosen a side” and that it stands with “Russia and its people”. The party thus neatly avoided stating whether its support is intended either for Prigozhin or for Putin. 

Narodna Patrola has often shown strong support for Putin but also has confirmed affiliations with Wagner, with members of Narodna Patrola visiting Wagner’s centre in St. Petersburg in November 2022. Members of Narodna Patrola were also accused of inciting unrest during the anti-government protest in Belgrade in May, wearing Wagner troops’ insignia. 

Misa Vacic, leader of the Srpska Desnica (Serbian Right) party, was more open about supporting Wagner during an appearance on Informer TV on June 25. Vacic said that the crisis in Russia was a “good thing” and that “not one of Wagner’s soldiers took arms against Putin”. According to Vacic, Wagner’s troops marched against “military oligarchs”, naming Russia’s Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. 

Vacic explained that things are changing now. He said “new, young generals would arrive” and without these “old, corrupt ones”, Russia will be more successful in its war against Ukraine.

Putin’s weakness acknowledged 

Djordje Vukadinovic, an independent member of United Opposition of Serbia, was one of the first to come out and comment, taking to Twitter as the drama unfolded on June 24. 

“[I]t seems to me the following: Prigozhin’s political appetites must have grown after Bahmut, and his philippics against the corruption and incompetence of the military leadership must have resonated with the citizens. BUT few people in [Russia] will support an armed rebellion. have understanding,” he wrote. 

However, rather than explicitly taking the side of either Putin or Prigozhin, Vukadinovic reserved his ire for Western commentators. 

Three days later, Vukadinovic shared his thoughts on the aftermath of the mutiny, acknowledging Putin’s weakness after Russia’s failure to achieve a speedy victory in Ukraine. 

“[I]t was not a real coup, but a "tactical" rebellion with a limited goal. Even if he wanted to, Prigozhin could not overthrow the government, but many in [Russia] agree with his criticism of the military leadership,” he wrote on Twitter. 

“Putin was not threatened by that "coup". But he is threatened by the fact that the "operation" has dragged on, that it is not going as they expected … All this does not mean that those who joyfully announce "the end of Russia" are right. On the contrary. But it means that the situation is serious.” 

Wagner in Serbia 

Wagner announced in December 2022 it set up a cultural and information centre in the Serbian capital Belgrade. The centre's team said at the time that mission was the implementation of public diplomacy, with the aim of strengthening and developing friendly relations between Russia and Serbia. 

News of the centre’s opening came amid heightened tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, which have since worsened, with violent clashes in northern Kosovo in May. Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani claimed in February that the Wagner Group was working with Serbian paramilitaries to smuggle weapons into Kosovo. 

Serbian President Vucic, meanwhile, denied that Wagner had a presence in Serbia, though he criticised the group for recruiting in the country.

After the mutiny, the Russian-Serbian centre Orlovi organisation, which shares its premises with Wagner in St. Petersburg, stated on its Telegram channel Zli Orlovi, according to RFE, that it will "temporarily suspend news from Kosovo, Serbia, and the Balkans in general”.