The official representative of the foreign Ministry of Russia Maria Zakharova commented on reports that Secretary of Sovbeza of Russia Nikolai Patrushev apologized during a visit to Belgrade, on the eve of which it became known about the detention of Russians suspected of preparing terrorist acts and provocations after the elections in neighboring Montenegro. These messages appeared on Friday in the Russian mass media with reference to The Guardian, published a review article on the disclosure of the conspiracy in Montenegro.
“The publication in the newspaper The Guardian, citing unnamed “sources” that Patrushev apologized for the “Russian nationalists” who planned the assassination of Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, is a classic provocation, consisting in the dissemination of false information”, — Zakharov wrote in his Facebook. According to her, “no one from the edition not called neither in the device of security Council of Russia, the press center of the foreign Ministry with a request to confirm or deny this information.”
“This approach is completely contrary to the requirements of the staff of Western publications,” — concluded Zakharov. In a press-service of the Russian security Council, in turn, in response to a request from TASS to comment on the publication of the British edition, said that Patrushev “to no one apologized, because”. “[Patrushev] in Serbia was planned, the agreement with the Serbian side it was reached in may”, — reminded in a press-service.
Earlier Friday, 11 November, The Guardian published an article in which it was told that the authorities of Serbia deported the group of Russians suspected of involvement in the conspiracy in Montenegro. As writes the edition, after the parliamentary elections in the country on 16 October the conspirators planned to incite the crowd to storm the Parliament, to make an attempt on the Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and achieve the coming to power of Pro-Russian parties.
The episode with the “apology” Patrushev described in the article only one sentence. According to the source The Guardian, Patrushev brought the authorities of the country of apology, assuring that the action of the nationalists was not sanctioned by the Kremlin.
