Social networks are not only for propaganda but also for recruiting Balkans into the Russian military

The recruitment of mercenaries from the Balkans through the Telegram app is not just a story of individuals seeking income or adventure in someone else’s war. This phenomenon reveals how digital platforms are blurring the lines between real and virtual war, turning conflict into a web of interests where ideology, poverty, and propaganda mix. For Russia, such channels mean additional power and the possibility of denying responsibility, for the recruits–quick money and an uncertain future. But for the Balkans, a region with a difficult past and fragile stability, this could mean reopening old wounds and exporting instability

 

Author: Miroslava Simonovska

 

Paid individuals from the Balkans are recruiting volunteers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to fight on the side of Russia in the war being waged against Ukraine. According to the latest research by “Detektor” of the The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Bosnia and Herzegovina, such illegal recruitment is taking place through channels on the “Telegram” app. Journalists infiltrated one of these channels and, for months, observed a person, who also runs their own YouTube channel, giving instructions to recruits. They are told to claim they are “going to Russia as tourists,” but in reality, they are being sent as paid fighters for a foreign country. Recruits are promised training, Russian citizenship, salaries of thousands of marks, and benefits for their families, including free education for their children.

Since Russia launched its unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it has also stepped up its efforts to mobilize troops. The reasons for this move are the heavy losses and the weak response of the Russian population, which forced President Vladimir Putin in July 2025 to sign a decree allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian army both during the conscription period and during martial law.

The investigation by “Detektor” uncovers Balkan connections in the recruitment process, more precisely, connections in the Balkans that use Telegram channels, provide logistics, and practical advice to potential future fighters, while offering promises of large sums of money for recruitment. Dejan Berić is identified as the main figure in the recruitment effort. Berić, in Serbian on Telegram and YouTube, reported on battlefield news and had thousands of followers. In private messages, Berić promised that a new unit was being formed that would include “many Serbs” and that knowledge of the Russian language would not be mandatory.

Igor, good afternoon. We’re ready here, you can come. When you buy tickets, call ahead to say you’ve bought the ticket and that you’re coming so someone can meet you, he says in a voice message released by “Detektor.”

One of the rules he points out is that “no photos, videos, or messages to loved ones may be sent from Russia,” as doing so can result in several years of imprisonment.

Everything is strict. The training is not difficult, nothing complicated. The commander is Vuk, he wrote.

According to investigative journalist John Lechner, the profile of a Balkan “volunteer” seeking to join Russian units resembles that of the new generation, and recruitment occurs via social networks.

It is difficult to say exactly what the motivation is in all cases, but it usually involves people who are in some way dissatisfied with the life they have at home and are excited by the opportunity to join something bigger than themselves, he told “Detektor.”

Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as the Criminal Code in North Macedonia, prohibit fighting in a foreign army, and such actions are considered crimes in all three countries. However, this does not stop recruiters from using social networks and Telegram channels to seek supporters, promise them benefits, and provide logistical support to help them reach the battlefield.

Professor Vladimir Pivovarov, former head of military intelligence, explains to Truthmeter.mk that recruitment for the war in Ukraine occurs in two ways: through person-to-person intermediaries and via social networks.

The mechanisms for recruitment, not only in the Russian army but also in the militaries of other countries, occur both electronically and through person-to-person recruiters. We are aware of testimonies from fighters from the region who complained that when they were in Russia they received no training and were treated as cannon fodder, but it cannot be verified whether such video materials are genuine or just spin. However, I remember that a few years ago I was invited to two discussions at the Government when the issue of ISIL recruitment was topical, and a clear and firm position was taken that the Criminal Code would be amended to make this a criminal offense. We received particular support for this action from the United Kingdom and the United States. In Western countries, for example, if someone fights for ISIL, their citizenship can be revoked and their property confiscated, university security professor Pivovarov told “Truthmeter.mk”

At the end of August this year, the Agency for National Security of North Macedonia confirmed that it had identified citizens of North Macedonia who had gone to fight in foreign conflicts, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as armed conflicts in the Middle East.

According to the ANS, four Macedonian citizens have gone to fight on the side of Russia against Ukraine. In addition, four more people from Macedonia have joined terrorist gangs in the Middle East. The ANS points out that several organizations from the country that send humanitarian aid to the region, through their contacts, assisted in the departure of these individuals.

On November 30, 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs filed criminal charges against Macedonian citizen J.K. for participating in a foreign military, police, paramilitary, or parapolice formation. According to police information, J.K. went to Moscow to join the Russian military but returned to the country on October 11.

The suspect, after previously being exposed to propaganda material calling for service in a foreign military, police, paramilitary, or parapolice formations for the needs of the Russian Federation, made contact via an online communication platform with an unidentified male who presented himself as being tasked by the Russian military to recruit soldiers for service in the Russian army for a payment of 3,000 euros. Expressing his willingness to join a newly formed unit within the Russian army intended for combat on the military fronts in Ukraine, the suspect departed on October 5, 2024, from Skopje International Airport via Belgrade to Moscow, Russian Federation, the Ministry of Interior announced.

The number of participants from the Balkans in foreign formations of the Russian army is unknown and has not been officially disclosed. Media reports mention both deaths and convictions in Serbia, although these have involved only suspended sentences and six-month prison terms. According to estimates from the Ukrainian Embassy in Serbia in 2018, over 300 volunteers from Serbia had joined the Russian army. Unofficial reports also indicate that Serbian citizens travel to Ukraine through fan groups and right-wing organizations, according to N1.

The recruitment of mercenaries from the Balkans through the Telegram app is not just a story of individuals seeking income or adventure in someone else’s war. This phenomenon reveals how digital platforms are blurring the lines between real and virtual war, turning conflict into a web of interests where ideology, poverty, and propaganda mix. For Russia, such channels mean additional power and the possibility of denying responsibility, for the recruits–quick money and an uncertain future. But for the Balkans, a region with a difficult past and fragile stability, this could mean reopening old wounds and exporting instability.

 

 

All comments and remarks regarding this and other Vistinomer articles, correction and clarification requests as well as suggestions for fact-checking politicians’ statements and political parties’ promises can be submitted by using this form