'Two Russian spies' convicted in Montenegro coup attempt

A court in Montenegro has convicted 13 people, including two men suspected of being Russian spies, after they were found guilty of plotting a coup in 2016.

Chief Justice Suzana Mugosa said the two Russians, identified as Eduard Chishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were found guilty of “attempted terrorism” and “creating a criminal organization.”

Both men were tried in absentia.

Chishmakov was sentenced to 15 years in prison while Popov was sentenced to 12 years.

Two Serbian opposition political leaders, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict says the group planned to seize power in Parliament on election day on October 16, 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russian, anti-NATO leadership.

Montenegro became independent in 2006 and joined NATO in 2017 as the 29th member of the Western military alliance, despite strong opposition from Moscow.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in the coup attempt.

Montenegro is politically divided. A large part of the population favors closer ties with Europe, but a significant proportion would prefer to remain close to Moscow.

Police in Montenegro foiled the coup attempt after receiving information from Western spy organizations, authorities said.

The two Russian men, believed to be members of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, coordinated the coup attempt from neighboring Serbia, according to the verdict.

Pro-Russian Serbian authorities allowed them to leave for Moscow despite reports that they were operating with sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge said the Russians had provided at least €200,000 (around £170,000) towards the purchase of rifles and firearms.

The two men attempted to recruit “as many people as possible to come to the protest” and attempt to “change the electoral will” and “prevent Montenegro from joining NATO.”

The judge said the two ethnic Serbian politicians had traveled to Moscow several times on the eve of the elections, where they allegedly received instructions from GRU agents.

The attempted coup went largely unnoticed at the time – in part because of the US presidential elections – but it has attracted growing interest across Europe as new details have come to light.

The trial of the alleged participants in the coup attempt has become the largest in the history of Montenegro.

It is also believed to be the first time that serving GRU officers have been charged with terrorist offenses and criminal activity in a European country.