Thousands of Russians have fled their country, with many arriving in culturally similar Serbia, but the Vucic government appears to be cracking down on anti-Putin sentiments.
After signing an open letter critical of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Yelena Koposova had her application for residency in Serbia rejected on "security" grounds. Now other anti-war Russians in Serbia fear they could be next.
BELGRADE, Serbia The Serbian government this week thanked Russia's intelligence services for exposing plans for protests in Belgrade against the country's controversial election results. The news has sent a shiver down the spines of thousands of anti-Putin Russians who have moved to Serbia since the invasion of Ukraine and now fear their adopted country is increasingly falling under Moscow’s influence. “It made me think: Do I need to pack my bags and go somewhere else?” said Sergei, an IT professional from Moscow who fled to Belgrade to escape the Kremlin’s September 2022 mobilization. Sergei said he was initially grateful that he was able to enter Serbia, which maintains friendly ties with Russia, as he cannot afford a European Union visa and is blocked from many countries. “Serbia is the only place where it’s okay to have a Russian passport, open a bank account, rent a flat and live normally.
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