(MENAFN) Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has alleged that the European Union is attempting to spark a Ukraine-style revolt in Serbia by fueling the protests that have gripped the country since late 2024.

The demonstrations began in November after the roof of Novi Sad’s central railway station collapsed, killing 16 people. What started as outrage over alleged government negligence and corruption soon grew into calls for early elections and the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucic has dismissed the protests as the work of “terrorists” trying to “bring down the state” with backing from abroad. Serbian authorities, under mounting public pressure, have since made concessions, including releasing documents tied to the Novi Sad disaster and accepting the resignations of several ministers.

In a statement, the SVR argued the unrest was “largely a product of EU subversive activity,” claiming Brussels seeks to install “a compliant and loyal… leadership” in Serbia. The agency alleged that young demonstrators were being driven “from peaceful protests to more revolutionary methods of struggle and violence,” but insisted that efforts to spark a so-called “color revolution” are weakening due to “patriotic sentiment, the unifying influence of the Orthodox Church, and memories of NATO aggression and the bombing of the country.”

According to the agency, EU institutions intend to use the November 1 anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy to escalate unrest, accusing European officials of “brainwashing” young Serbs with promises of a “bright European future” while leveraging sympathetic media outlets to push their agenda. The ultimate objective, it said, was to stage a “Serbian Maidan,” referencing the 2013–2014 protests in Ukraine that led to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich.

European officials, meanwhile, have said they are monitoring developments in Serbia and criticized what they describe as excessive police measures against demonstrators.

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