The government of the pro-West state of Montenegro along the shores of the Adriatic Sea has revealed Russian nationalists were behind a thwarted coup d'état in mid-October that would also have assassinated the country's Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic.
It said the plotters included pro-Russian Montenegrins and Serbs, some of whom had fought on Russia's side in the war in Ukraine. Some 20 of the coup plotters were arrested in Montenegro. Among those arrested was a former commander of Serbia's special police forces.
Milivoje Katnic, Montenegro's special chief prosecutor, said the Russian nationalists planned to topple Djukanovic-s pro-Western government because of Montenegro bid to join NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Katnic said the investigation confirmed "nationalists from Russia" organized a criminal group that planned to seize control of the Parliament of Montenegro and bring a pro-Russian coalition to power. The plotters planned their coup for Montenegro's election day last Oct. 16.
The plan was for 500 pro-Russian people to enter Montenegro on election night to "cause violence ... and hire professional sharpshooters to kill the prime minister."
"The plan was to stop Montenegro on its Euro-Atlantic path, especially to prevent it from entering NATO," said Katnic.
Montenegro has been invited to join NATO despite strong opposition from Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Montenegro's joining NATO would have deprived Russia of its only strategic access to the Adriatic Sea. This would also leave Serbia as Russia's only ally in the region.
Russia, of course, denied any direct involvement in the coup attempt. It has, however, openly supported "patriotic" parties against Montenegro's bid to join NATO.
It pointed to Montenegro's statement that is doesn't have "any evidence that the state of Russia is involved in any sense" to prove its innocence.
Russia played no role in an alleged coup plot and an assassination attempt of Dukanovic, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"In this case, we do not have any information and, of course, categorically deny the possibility of official involvement in any attempts to organize illegal actions."
Katnic, however, said Montenegro has "evidence that two nationalists from Russia were organizers."
Serbia also deported an unspecified number of Russian operatives monitoring Djukanovic's movements from inside Serbia.
"Special prosecution of Serbia had those persons under its supervision ... and prevented them from realizing their plan," said Katnic.
"Those persons are not on the territory of Serbia any more. I don't know where they are now, in Russia or somewhere else."