How and why Russians recruit mercenaries in Montenegro and what Serbian nationalism has to do with it
Within radical Serbian nationalist circles, Russia is portrayed not merely as a foreign ally but as the protector of Orthodox Christianity, Slavic civilisation and Serbian national interests.
In this narrative, fighting for Russia becomes an act of loyalty to a wider national and civilisational cause.
Read more about how people are being recruited in Montenegro to fight in the war against Ukraine, while state institutions appear to pay almost no attention in the column by Montenegrin political scientist Ljubomir Filipović: Silence of Podgorica: how Montenegrins fight against Ukraine with impunity.
The author notes that in October 2025, an investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) exposed recruitment networks operating through Telegram, where experienced Serbian fighters were attracting new volunteers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The investigation documented offers of military contracts, financial compensation, Russian citizenship and other benefits, alongside appeals to solidarity among Serbs fighting for Russia.
"This combination of nationalist ideology, geopolitical resentment, religious identification, and financial incentives has created a recognizable framework for recruitment. It helps explain why people from the Western Balkans might view participation in Russia's war as something more than military employment.
Montenegro is especially exposed to this ideological influence because Serbian nationalism operates across the border between Serbia and Montenegro through the Serbian Orthodox Church," Filipović emphasises.
This influence is exerted, in particular, through the Serbian Orthodox Church, a dominant religious organisation in the country, as well as through political movements, media and shared nationalist networks.
The Montenegrin political scientist says that for some time he has been seeing videos and posts in his social media feeds featuring men who appear to be from Montenegro and are serving in Russian military formations.
"On 23 September, I raised the issue in my regular column for the Montenegrin news portal Cafe del Montenegro (CdM). Rather than identifying individuals, I asked whether our security institutions knew who these people were, whether they were Montenegrin citizens, and whether anyone was investigating their activities," the author writes.
He collected screenshots, video recordings, links to Instagram accounts, and specific posts showing armed men serving in Russian military formations and submitted the information to the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office, the Special State Prosecutor's Office, the Police Directorate and the National Security Agency.
However, he had received no acknowledgment of receipt, no registration number, and no indication that the information had been formally recorded.
According to Ljubomir Filipović, Montenegro has legislation providing for penalties for unlawful participation in foreign armed formations.
"What makes the institutional silence particularly frustrating is that Montenegro's security services have recently demonstrated their ability to act against Russian-linked activities," the political scientist writes.
Nevertheless, he intends to continue documenting the available material and seeking answers.