Bosnia accuses Russia of training people in ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Bosnia has claimed to have intelligence reports about Russian paramilitary units training people in the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, one of the country's two entities.

"We have information that Russians are conducting training on the territory of the Republika Srpska. There are several camps, and I am telling them we know where they are because they have been found. We can eliminate them," said Bosnia and Herzegovina's Defense Minister Zukan Helez in an interview with regional broadcaster N1 TV on Thursday.

He claimed they are members of armies from various countries present in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Institutions know about these camps, and the paramilitary units. It (training) does not happen on a daily basis; they come and go. They practice with weapons, and we know where they get them," said Helez.

The international community is aware of it, he claimed.

Milorad Dodik, the Bosnian Serb leader, has been blamed for inciting tensions in the Balkan country by publicly declaring his intention to secede Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which declared independence in 1992 and is made up of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.

The US and UK have both imposed sanctions on Dodik.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has its own army, and the EU peacekeeping mission EUFOR is also stationed in the country, currently at the Butmir barracks in the capital Sarajevo.

UFOR is a military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina that was established in 2004 to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and ensure the country’s security.