Russian elite bypass procedures for Serbian citizenship
Russians associated with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and beneficiaries of the war in Ukraine received Serbian citizenship by bypassing standard procedures, KRIK, a non-governmental organization focused on crime and corruption investigations, reported on Thursday.
What do you need to know?
- Who received citizenship? Serbia granted citizenship to 204 Russians.
- Why were procedures bypassed? The Serbian government justified the decision based on national interest.
- What are the consequences? These citizens avoided travel restrictions imposed by the European Union.
What are the reasons for granting citizenship?
Individuals associated with Russian services, beneficiaries of the war in Ukraine, and oligarchs whose companies have been sanctioned for three and a half years, received Serbian citizenship with the government stating that "it is in the national interest" of the country. This applied to 204 Russians who circumvented travel restrictions imposed by the European Union, as explained by KRIK in a report describing the organization's research and the Russian independent service Important Stories.
"For influential Russians, obtaining Serbian citizenship posed no problem, even though they did not meet the required criteria. The government in Belgrade granted Russians citizenship outside the procedure required for foreigners, justifying it with Serbian national interest," it was noted.
Who received Serbian citizenship?
One of them was Ivan Sibirow, an arms dealer who expanded his operations in war-torn Ukrainian cities, KRIK noted. Another was Viktor Shendrik, a former FSB officer who oversaw security in Russian Railways and businesses linked to Putin's associates, the Rotenberg brothers. Shendrik also sponsors militias with neo-Nazi affiliations fighting against Kyiv forces.
The Serbian passport was also granted to Ruslan Alisultanov, a former high-ranking official in Chechnya.
Citizenship outside the procedure
From the decision to grant citizenship from early 2022 to April 2025, 204 Russian citizens received it outside the regular procedure. These individuals did not even have to reside in Serbia or renounce other passports, KRIK wrote.
