“Polico”: Russia uses Serbian agent to infiltrate EU bodies

Russian intelligence is using a Serbian agent to infiltrate EU institutions and spread pro-Kremlin ideas about its invasion of Ukraine, according to a Western intelligence report seen by “Yeah. LITICO”

In October 2023, Serbian national Novica Antiq ʹ a non-x0 active influential “sector, which has consciously worked closely with the Russian security agency, according to documents, held meetings with European officials in Brussels and in particular, European Parliament deputies.

These Eurodeputs included German Green lawmaker Violet von Cremon-Taubadel, Italian Socialist lawmaker and Democrat Alessandra Moretti and Vladimir Bilkki, Slovak member of the European People's Party conservative group, according to a press release and a first photo by POLITICO.

Nothing is said in the intelligence announcement to say that Moretti, Bilchik and von Cromon-Taubadel were aware of Antic's FSB connections when they met with him.

Morette, Bilchik and von Cromon-Taubadel did not respond to a request for a comment by POLITICO.

Antic, chairman of the Serbian Military Trade Union, also met with union E representatives. UROMI and EPSU, which represent armed forces personnel and public service employees in the European Union respectively.

When asked about the meeting with Antici, an EPSU official responded by saying: “A delegation of his union was in Brussels in October, where they met with several Eurodeputs and all were transparent. The only theme was union rights”.

EU ROMIL said about Yeah. LITICO said they reacted sharply to the events in Serbia and rejected any possible ties with Russian authorities. EUROMIL President Emmanuel Jacob added that “the organisation could take the short-term step of the observer's temporary suspension of status for Serbia pending clarification”.

According to the announcement of the first Western intelligence by POLITICO, Antiq is a <x0gen influence” active for Russia's Federal Security Service, known as FSB.

Antic works closely with an FSB associate named Vyacheslav Kalinin, a Russian national and editor-in-chief of “Veteran News”, a media site specialising in news for armed forces veterans. In the “field around us” on the web page it says “Veteran News” is a “parter information” FSB and the Russian Defence Ministry, among other branches of Russian security forces.

Kalin did not respond to a request for comment from POLITICO.

While intelligence information highlights Antiqi's actions in particular, he noted that Kalin recruited other people, without specifying how much and within which state.

Russia is using Serbia as a launch platform for its influential operations designed to weaken pro- EU and pro - NATO within the country, as well as within the European Union, which has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full invasion two years ago. Antic has used his role as head of Serbia's military union to criticise Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and senior members of the country's armed forces.

“They used every opportunity to promote Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine”, it says, referring to meetings in Serbia and EU countries.

News that Antic held meetings within the European Parliament underscores the vulnerability of this body to state-backed influence operations. Early this month, POLITICO found that “spywaree” was found on mobile phones of the two lawmakers in the European Parliament, including former French minister of Europe, Natalia Loisau, who heads the body's subcommittee.

Antic and his representatives did not respond to the request for comments by POLITICO.

Kalin invited Antics to Russia to meet with senior Russian military officials between 2019 and 2020. Initially focused on the impact on Serbian civil society, the two have since expanded their focus to include European union and veterans organisations and, in recent months, members of the European Parliament.

Antiq, an open critic of Serbia's armed forces who have come into opposition to the country's political leadership, is currently being arrested on undeposed charges, according to Balkan Insight” news website.

According to the “Balkan Insight”, Antic has been dismissed twice by the Serbian Army over the past five years. He, according to the writing, has gone on hunger strike to protest his ban. An Antiqi lawyer refused to specify for “Balkan Insight” under which charges he was being held.