Inside Serbia’s pro-Russian nationalist groups - BBC World Service Documentaries

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world were forced to take sides. Most in the West sided with Ukraine, but in Serbia, a country with its own recent history of war, a sizeable pro-Russian nationalist movement began to become more visible. These groups not only align themselves with Moscow, but also present a clearly anti-Western perspective. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 Just over a week after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, thousands of Serbs took to the streets of Belgrade. They waved Russian flags and held the pro-war Z signs and portraits of the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The organiser of the protest, Damjan Knezevic, took to the stage calling for Serbs to support Russians. To understand why, reporter Jovana Geogievski, working with BBC Eye Investigations, followed the ultra-nationalist Knezevic over the next year. With rare access, the team revealed their ties to Russia and Wagner as well as the reasons behind their ideology. Here are some key moments from the film: 00:00 Intro 00:27 The pro-Russia Serbians 01:58 Serbian nationalist Damjan Knezevic on supporting Russia 04:42 Knezevic’s People’s Patrol 07:33 History of Serbia-Kosovo war and NATO bombing 09:34 Knezevic’s views, background and links to Wagner 11:30 What is the Wagner mercenary group? 17:13 Pro-Russian rally in Belgrade 19:35 Serbian President Vučić responds 20:08 Knezevic’s arrest 20:47 Who is Sanja Vujanović of the Dveri party? 22:24 Serbia’s mass shootings changing the course 25:25 Credits Thanks for watching and subscribing. To watch more investigative journalism from our award-winning BBC Eye team check out this documentary playlist, perfect for the biggest screen in your home: ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: BBC Website 👉🏽 Instagram 👉🏽 Twitter 👉🏽 Facebook 👉🏽 #BBCWorldService #BBCEye #BBCDocumentary #Serbia #Russia #Wagner #Ukraine #PeoplesPatrol #DamjanKnezevic #Vucic #Moscow #StPetersburg