'Russian State' Behind Montenegro Coup Plot, Prosecutor Says

The "Russian state" orchestrated an attempted coup on October 16 in Montenegro in a bid to stop the Balkan country from joining NATO, Montenegrin Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic said on Sunday.

"So far, we have had evidence that Russian nationalist structures were behind [the coup attempt], but now we have evidence that Russian state bodies were involved at a certain level," Katnic told the local Atlas TV.

Katnic previously said the conspiracy to kill former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and overthrow the pro-Western government was orchestrated by "some Russian nationalists", but he went a step further on Sunday, saying the Kremlin was involved.

"The bodies of the Russian state must investigate which bodies were involved and open a criminal trial over these acts," Katnic said.

The Special Prosecution in November said a criminal group based in Russia, Serbia and Montenegro had intended to "commit a terrorist act" on election day.

It claimed the security services had thwarted the coup after the arrest of 20 Serbian citizens, including a former Serbian police general, Bratislav Dikic.

On November 18, the Special Prosecution released the names of two Russians - Eduard Shirokov and Vladimir Popov - who it accused of organising the plot.

Katnic on Sunday said the aim of the coup attempt, on election day, was to stop the Balkan country from joining NATO.

According to him, the head of the group preparing the coup and the murder of Djukanovic was the Russian citizen Edward Shirokov, currently on the Interpol's red notice, based on a warrant issued by Montenegrin authorities.

Katnic said Shirokov's real name was Edward Shishmakov, however.

"In 2014, Shishmakov was a deputy military attache...