Bosnia & Herzegovina’s state-level Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic has called on the authorities to thoroughly investigate intelligence information from Moldova that pro-Russian activists have been trained in Bosnia and Serbia to cause unrest and destabilise the country ahead of presidential election and the referendum on EU accession held on October 20.

Last week, Moldova arrested men suspected of being trained in Russia, Bosnia’s pro-Russian Republika Srpska and Serbia to cause violence in the country.

Konakovic, who has strong pro-Western orientation, warned that Bosnia must be very cautious due to Russia’s malignant influence in the country, N1 reported on October 22.

The pro-EU vote in Moldova passed with a slim majority, with the closeness of the result attributed to Russian influence, including illicit financing of politicians, disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks.

The European Commission has also commented that Russia’s interference in Moldova was unprecedented.

This is not the first report suggesting that Russian or Moscow-financed paramilitary groups have been trained in Republika Srpska. Last year, Bosnia’s Defence Minister Zukan Helez said that paramilitary camps backed by Russia had been detected in the country.

Helez said he had photos proving the existence of military camps for training of young Bosnian Serbs and some Russians in the villages around Rogatica in eastern Bosnia and in the area of the Maglic mountain. He has also said that these camps exist under the protection of Republika Srpska’s interior ministry.

Years earlier, US reports suggested that Russia was likely arming and training paramilitary groups in Republika Srpska and could use them to ignite a new military conflict in the politically unstable Balkan state.