Russian Political Warfare Operations in the Balkans

The western Balkans, including Bosnia and Kosovo, were the scene of some of the bloodiest warfare and atrocities in Europe post-World War Two until Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Approximately twenty-five years after the last of the fighting in the region, tensions still simmer and some predict that the region could see a renewal of violence. Whereas the previous Balkan Wars were the result of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, a future Balkan war could be ignited by Serbian irredentism and spread by Russia. Will Russia's political warfare operations in the Balkans fuel the next war? Balkan scholar and Russian security expert Ivana Stradner joins host Phil Wasielewski to discuss this threat and her recent FPRI article on the subject, and analyzes the possible impact of Russian disinformation, subversion, and covert actions on peace and stability in the Balkans.Related Reading: https://www.fpri.org/article/2025/06/will-russian-political-warfare-operations-in-the-balkans-fuel-its-next-war/ - Ivana Stradner -FPRI