The Night Wolves, an infamous nationalist Russian motorcycle gang funded by the Kremlin, was spotted in Europe on Monday.
As hundreds gathered to attend a parade marking the "Republika Srpska Day" organized by ethnic Serbs in Bosnia, members of the notorious motorcycle club marched as part of a commemoration for the "national day" holiday, which has twice been declared unconstitutional by the country's top court.
Some 2,700 people participated in the hour-long parade in Banja Luka, the second-largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the de-facto capital of the country's predominantly Serbian entity, Republika Srpska, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.
"The day of Republika Srpska" has been declared illegal by Bosnia's constitutional court. It commemorates the day in January 1992 when Bosnian Serbs proclaimed they were splitting from Bosnia with the goal of seceding the Serb-populated regions of the Balkan state and merging them with Serbia.
Despite the holiday being deemed illegal and unconstitutional as of 2015, Republika Srpska authorities continue to mark the day annually as a public holiday.
The Night Wolves, which has a long history of supporting Putin, took part in the annual parade that typically involves members of Republika Srpska's police force, emergency workers, representatives of public institutions, sports organizations, and other associations, RFE/RL reported.
Putin has repeatedly referred to members of the Night Wolves as "friends" and has made appearances at the club's rallies.
The motorcycle gang, also known as Putin's Angels, has been targeted by U.S. and Canadian sanctions for its support of the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia. Some members fought alongside pro-Russian rebels at the time.
The club's leader, Aleksandr Zadostanov, also known as "The Surgeon," was also included in a round of EU sanctions in July in response to Putin's decision to invade Ukraine on February 24.
The Bosnian Serb branch of the Night Wolves staged pro-Putin protests in Banja Luka weeks after the invasion began, waving Russian flags and calling Putin's decision to invade his neighbor a "battle to liberate [Ukraine's] subjugated people."
On Monday, Milorad Dodik, the Bosnian Serb separatist leader, awarded Putin in absentia with the highest medal of honor for his "patriotic concern and love" for the region.
"Putin is responsible for developing and strengthening cooperation and political and friendly relations between RS (Republika Srpska) and Russia," Dodik said at an awards ceremony.
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
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