The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) also reacted to the allegations of the Russian Ministry of Defense about foreign mercenaries fighting in Ukraine. Allegedly, according to the list, 167 mercenaries have left BiH and gone to Ukraine since February. Citizens of the countries of the region are no exception. While analysts are of the opinion that this is one-sided information, confirmation has arrived from the Ministry of Security of our country – only two BiH citizens are on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Russian data show that 51 citizens of BiH were killed, more than 40 were deported, and there are still 70 mercenaries from our country in Ukraine. Although there is no official confirmation for these allegations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, confirmation has arrived from the Ministry of Security of BiH. There are only two BiH citizens. One on the side of Ukraine, the other one on the side of Russia.
”The Ministry of Security of BiH and the security agencies have information about the departures of two BiH citizens to the battlefield in Ukraine. Thus, the alleged data on the departures and killed citizens of BiH are completely untrue and unreliable, as it was published in some media, referring to Russian sources. Disclosure of inaccurate and unverified information has a negative effect on the general security situation and contributes to harassment of citizens and the public,” stands in the reaction of the Ministry of Security of BiH.
Experts believe that until the state institutions receive an official request from Moscow related to that or instructions, clear evidence to the diplomatic consular missions, it is speculation.
Regional cooperation and information exchange are important in everything. Agencies from neighboring countries must have intelligence on the movements of these people and their identification, experts say. They add that the problem is that domestic agencies do not have this information from neighbors.
Data from the Russian ministry said that the Croatian group of fighters in Ukraine is the fourth largest and that 74 Croats have been killed since the beginning of the war. Croatian official institutions, as well as experts, are appealing to refrain from spreading unverified information.
”Fake news serves to spoil relations between Croatia and the other countries listed, and Ukraine, to consider Ukraine as an unreliable ally, friend and partner,” believes Croatian military security analyst Ivica Mandic.
Although there is a law in BiH that prohibits citizens from going to foreign battlefields, experts believe that the penalties are not adequate, that they are too low, and that it is necessary to tighten sanctions so that the consequences are far less.
E.Dz.
