Two thousand kilometers from Moscow, in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, the influence of the Kremlin on Russian exiles who oppose the invasion of Ukraine is painfully felt, writes the AFP agency on Thursday, quoted by Agerpres.

Over the past few months, tens of thousands of Russians have found refuge in Belgrade, fleeing the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, where economic sanctions, mobilization orders and repression have disrupted people’s lives.

But in Serbia, those who try to protest face risks and dangers. Some Russians who openly criticize the conflict are victims of online campaigns of intimidation, threats or even physical violence.

Volodymyr Volokonsky, 44, a former local elected official from St. Petersburg, told AFP he fled Russia after being arrested for trying to organize an anti-war demonstration.

In Belgrade, he continued his agitation. He initiated demonstrations and fundraising for charities and made contact with other exiles. Then he received a warning in the form of the letter Z, which became the Russian symbol of the war in Ukraine, painted on the door of the apartment where he often visited.

“I don’t know what will happen now,” he admits. In the 11 months since the start of the war, Belgrade has undergone several changes. Thousands of Russians have settled in Serbia, although a large number of Serbs favor the invasion.

Serbian ultranationalists even organized pro-Kremlin demonstrations.

The mercenaries of Wagner and Vladimir Putin are in a place of honor in Belgrade

On the walls you can see murals with the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Wagner’s group of mercenaries, as well as pro-war propaganda messages. Tourist shops also sell T-shirts with the Z logo.

Other events are less visible, but no less disturbing. Serbian and American authorities have accused Wagner’s group of trying to recruit Serbs to fight in Ukraine, prompting Belgrade to condemn Moscow last week in a rare move.

Serbian President Oleksandr Vučić compared the atmosphere in Belgrade to the movie “Casablanca” about the intrigues of emigrants in Morocco during the Second World War.

“During Christmas and New Year, Belgrade was like Casablanca. There is no hotel without spies. Belgrade hasn’t been through anything like this since World War II,” he said.

For Volodymyr Volokonskyi and others, the atmosphere can be icy. For several months, his name, photos and details of his personal life were published several times in the Telegram channel. This channel, called “Evil Eagles”, is known for publicly condemning Russians living in Serbia who oppose the war.

They are often called “traitors” and “degenerates” and threatened with persecution.

Threats to Russian dissidents in Serbia

“Why is he still walking around Serbia without being beaten?” – wrote recently on the channel. The prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP that it was aware of the group’s existence, adding that it had opened an investigation into “several” such reports.

The “Evil Eagles” TV channel is owned by the Russian Oleksandr Lisov, who has ties to Wagner and Serbian nationalists. Oleksandr Lisov has an office in Wagner’s new headquarters in St. Petersburg, from where his organization works, he says, in the “informational, humanitarian and cultural spheres.”

He denies asking others to attack Russian dissidents in Serbia. However, he has a bad attitude towards Russians who flee the country.

“We are trying to convey the message to the public that these people from Serbia have no right to represent the Russian people,” he told AFP. “They are not against the Russian special operation, but against Russia itself,” he added.

A newly released video online shows Oleksandr Lisov talking at Wagner’s headquarters with Damnjan Knežević, a Serb who heads a pro-Kremlin ultra-nationalist group called the People’s Patrol.

“He contacted me through mutual friends and asked to organize a tour. I would organize such a tour for any citizen of Serbia,” Oleksandr Lisov explained.

“Now we know who did it”

The meeting came in the context of circulating photos of a mural dedicated to Wagner’s group, painted in central Belgrade, showing people trampling a blue-and-white flag used by opponents of the war.

Petro Nikitin, the leader of a Russian dissident group in Serbia, recognized the flag when he saw the image. He says that it was he who was kidnapped from his group when several of its members were beaten by unknown persons.

“Now we know who did it,” he told AFP. The dissidents have no intention of staying silent, despite the growing threats.

“Several people, including Serbs, sent me vague warnings. I can’t say that I feel safe,” said Volodymyr Volokonskyi.

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