"148 Russian special forces and intelligence officers arrived in the territory of Republika Srpska. The special forces are housed in three hotels in the area of Laktaš, while a part of the Russian special forces is housed in the Training Center for the Police Forces of the MUP of the Republika Srpska in Pale."
This is how some media in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported in 2014, right before the elections. "Confirmation from several sources" about this information was then denied by the Border Police, which confirmed that 144 Russian citizens had entered BiH, "that they met the conditions necessary for entry into BiH, did not wear uniforms and military insignia, and that among them were women and men of different ages".
It was actually about the Don Cossacks, members of the cultural and artistic society, and not about special forces and spies.
The Presidency and the Prosecutor's Office are asking for information
The story about the alleged Russian special forces has reopened in BiH, and it was initiated by BiH Minister of Defense Zukan Helez.
That is why information about potential camps on the territory of the RS, as well as so-called parajamats, meeting places of radical Muslims and alleged terrorist cells, is on the agenda of the BiH Presidency.
"It's always protected information. They are not talked about in public because who knows what kind of actions are going on," said the chairman of the Presidency, Željko Komšić, after Helez made claims about the existence of training camps on the territory of Republika Srpska, which are controlled by the Russians.
"The Presidency will discuss these matters, both about these training camps in Republika Srpska, and also about this story about terrorists who allegedly operate and live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but we don't see them," said Komšić, stressing that he will officially request this information from security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Russian training camps or parallel forces of other countries operating in BiH - all this was stated by BiH Defense Minister Zukan Helez in a guest appearance on N1 television.
"We have data on where the training takes place in the territory of the Republic of Srpska. And some people from Russia, and we recorded that," said Helez, mentioning, in addition to people from Russia, parallel military structures that will help Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"They already have some forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are completely sufficient, apart from EUFOR, to provide complete security and help the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be safe," claims Helez.
In addition to political reactions, the State Prosecutor's Office was also alarmed, whose Department for Terrorism formed a case on this case.
"Within the case, the minister will be invited to testify and present all the information, evidence and facts at his disposal. We remind you that all institutions, office holders, as well as citizens have a legal obligation to report to the competent institutions all information about the committed criminal acts, as well as the perpetrators", announced the Prosecutor's Office.
"Statements leading to terrorism"
The SNSD strongly reacted to Helez's statements. "Someone who presents himself as a minister in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina claims that without the decisions of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, some other force secretly exists and that the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina do not know about it and that even the supreme commander is not aware of it ", says Radovan Kovačević, a representative of this party in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliament.
The Republika Srpska police also reject allegations that there are any illegal training camps on the territory of the RS. Such statements, they warn, seriously undermine the security situation.
"And such extreme, radical, violent policies lead to terrorism. This is a direct attack on the Constitution and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina", says the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska Siniša Karan.
Recently, some politicians from Republika Srpska wrote to American congressmen, among other things, about the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina "is a haven for radical Islamists and is home to many cells of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State".
The reactions that then came from political representatives in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina could, according to analysts, be put in the context of "returning the ball" to the claims about the existence of training camps on the territory of the RS.
Do they know the secrets of camp services?
Against this backdrop is the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, who has no dilemma as to who to trust.
"I saw the statement of colleague Helez. Honestly, I trust his assessment much more than the letter of the RS representative in the state parliament to the US Congress that there are Mujahideen detachments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I call on the institutions to definitely check these allegations, everything must be checked professionally and expertly", Konaković said.
Checks have already been carried out, if the umbrella agency dealing with intelligence matters is to be believed. The Intelligence and Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OBA) has already forwarded the information to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the chairperson, Borjana Krišto.
"An answer was sent that there are no camps or any paramilitary formations," the agency said.
The first man of Rogatica, Milorad Jagodić, assures that there are no camps in this territory, who invites all those who have doubts to come and see for themselves in this fabrication. Namely, Rogatica was mentioned as the place where the alleged Russian camps are.
"Everything is made up and a pure lie. From such a level of the Minister of Defense, it is excessive and too much to present such unverified information. A lot of damage was done to Rogatica and inter-ethnic relations," says Jagodić.
Replacement of Helez?
It is not good for the Minister of Defense to go public with unconfirmed information, says military analyst Đuro Kozar. As for the camps, Kozar says that there are forms of "training of gendarmerie units" in Republika Srpska.
However, he says, the trainings that took place caused certain enigmas, as well as the question of why they were held in those places.
"Now it is up to Minister Helez to present additional information, if any, that would explain his claims. But I am quite sure that the OBA does not have the data on who and how they were trained in Rogatica and Maglić and in that wider area," says Kozar.
This week, the security committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska should also be in session, which will also request information about the existence of these camps. Until then, the Serbian representatives in the Council of Ministers will request the resignation of Helez.
"No decision while Helez is a minister will pass in the Council of Ministers," said SNSD President Milorad Dodik. After that, his coalition partners, the so-called Troika parties, threatened to dismiss the Minister of Foreign Trade, Staša Košarac (SNSD).
However, unlike the SNSD, the Troika does not have a control package of votes in the House of Peoples for the implementation of this decision.
Bonus video:
