…



&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Russia’s ‘Wolves’ Ride Into Bosnia Despite Furor&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; Members of the Russian Night Wolves motorcycle club, known for their ties to President Vladimir Putin, have begun their tour Bosnia and Herzegovina, insisting it has no political ‘message’.&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Photo: BIRN&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;originaldate&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;width&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1280&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;orientation&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;height&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 960&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Photo: BIRN&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;originaldate&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;width&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1280&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;orientation&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;height&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 960&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Photo: BIRN&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;originaldate&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;width&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1280&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;orientation&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;height&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 960&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Photo: BIRN&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;originaldate&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;width&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1280&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;orientation&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;height&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 960&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;Photo: BIRN&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;originaldate&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;width&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1280&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;orientation&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 1&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt;height&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;span&amp;amp;amp;gt; 960&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Members of Russia’s Night Wolves motorcyle club arrived in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity, on Wednesday afternoon.

The leader of the group, Alexandar Zaldostanov, and Sasa Savic, leader of this group in Serbia, have not come to Bosnia, after being declared a threat to the security of the country.

Savic and Zaldostanov were both banned from entering Bosnia last Wednesday.

About 20 members of Night Wolves first entered Republika Srpskaon Tuesday evening, saying they had no idea why their Balkan tour was causing such a fuss.

The group say they want to study Russian history and heritage in the Balkans and that their aim is to “spread spiritual connection between nations”.

“We were really surprised with the political context and border crossing ban they wanted to impose on our mission,” Evgeny Strogov, President of the Russian motorcycle federation and member of the Night Wolves, said in Banja Luka on Wednesday.

“We are peacemakers and have come to this area for 10 years. We want to connect people. On this mission, it’s not only Night Wolves but ordinary people who travel with us,” he added.

During the visit to Banja Luka, members of the motorcyle club visited churches and the site where the construction of a Russian Church and cultural centre will begin in the summer.

Their tour, named “Russian Balkans”, will last for nine days and cover more than 2,000 kilometres. They have already visited Belgrade, Novi Sad and Sid in Serbia.

After finishing the tour of Bosnia, during which more visits to religious and cultural institutions are planned, they will return to Belgrade.

Earlier this month, Bosnian Security minister Dragan Mektic said the Night Wolves were considered a potential security risk by the EU and the US.

Bosnian media reports say the Republika Srpska’s chapter of the Night Wolves has announced a lawsuit against Mektic for allegedly lying about the group and damaging their reputation.

On January 9, marking the Republika Srpska’s disputed statehood day, RS President Milorad Dodik awarded the founder and president of the Night Wolves, Alexander Sergeyevich Zaldostanov, for “the affirmation of human rights, tolerance between people and nations, the rule of law and freedom, and the strengthening of friendly relations between the Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation.”

The US has sanctioned the Night Wolves in 2014 for its involvement with anti-Western and pro-Russian separatist movements in Ukraine.

Read more:

Russia’s ‘Night Wolves’ to Tour Bosnia Despite Ban

Russia’s ‘Night Wolves’ to Tour Bosnia, Serbia