Sniper exposes Russian leadership's mistreatment of Serbian volunteers in Ukraine

Berić has accused the leadership of the 119th Airborne Regiment, in which Serbian mercenaries have been incorporated, of functioning as an "organized criminal group". This was reported by the Russian edition of the BBC on Monday. Berić, responsible for enlisting volunteers from the Balkans for the Russians, published his accusations on the Russian social network VKontakte.

Berić stated that the regiment leadership's treatment of the Serbs had been consistently poor. They referred to them as "Gypsies" and struggled to understand why they had decided to join the Russian army's efforts aimed at invading Ukraine. Berić expressed disappointment over the inadequate supply provision for the mercenaries.

A conflict that took place between the Serbian volunteers and the commanders in late December 2023 was detailed by Berić. He revealed that the commanders had ordered the Serbs to initiate an assault with minimal ammunition. Following their refusal, the Serbs were branded as deserters and criminals. They were removed from their dugouts and left outside in harshly cold conditions for several days. The Russians eventually demanded that the Serbs sign a statement admitting they were spies.

Berić has appealed for the transfer of Serbs from the 119th Regiment to another regiment, suggesting a possible move to the Chechen formations.

The complainant, Berić, is one of the most recognized mercenaries from the Balkan countries that are supporting Russia. He joined the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas in 2014 and has actively recruited Serbs for the Russian army during the ongoing conflict. In addition, he has associated himself with a group formed in Russia during this year's presidential elections, which is vocal in its support for Vladimir Putin.

The first instances of Russia recruiting mercenaries from the Balkans came to light in January 2023. Among those involved in these recruitment activities is Marko Milošević, a Russia-based son of former Yugoslavian leader, Slobodan Milošević.