Sonic denials in Serbia
With flawed evidence and bizarre accusations, the sonic cannon incident came back into focus.
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ON OUR MINDS RIGHT NOW. This map showing the emptiness of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Sonic denials in Serbia
Remember the sound cannon incident during the largest protest in Serbia’s history, on March 15, 2025?
It has returned to the news cycle.
INVESTIGATION. On June 19, the prosecution announced it was examining claims that a simulation of a sound cannon for March 15 had been arranged during a January 2025 meeting of students in blockade.
NONE OF THAT. The students rejected the accusations. Notes the prosecution cited in fact refer to the possible use of a sound cannon by the state as a risk scenario.
An audio expert spoke with DW about evidence of sonic weapon use on March 15.
CONVINCING. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly denied the use of a sonic weapon.
He also thanked Russia’s FSB for dismissing the claims, asking citizens: “Do you think that Bortnikov (Aleksandr, FSB director) would sign something that is a lie?”
REAL INVESTIGATIONS. Documents obtained by BIRN and Der Spiegel show how Jörg Heeskens, a close adviser to Vučić, has been paid with German public funds.
Heeskens has promoted the deeply unpopular Rio Tinto lithium mining project, pointing to German involvement in the erosion of democratic processes.
FIGHT BACK. In Serbia, migrant workers have formed a union to advocate for their rights. “We don’t want anything special, just a normal job to live normally,” one of the founders said.
Putin’s ally
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev was elected on an anti-Ukraine, openly pro-Russian, and socially conservative platform.
Three months in, he is following through.
GAMECHANGER. Then-president Radev stepped down to form a new party, Progressive Bulgaria.
He went on to win an absolute majority on April 20, ending at least five years of political deadlock.
RIGHT AFTER. His victory came days after Orbán was ousted, a coincidence that benefits Moscow.
The next Russia men in town?
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NOPE. Last Thursday, he announced that Bulgaria would veto the latest EU sanctions package against Russia.
PROGRESSIVE? The label appears misleading. Reporting suggests the party is progressive in name only. Alongside opposing sanctions, Progressive Bulgaria also backed the “March of the Family,” a counterprotest to Sofia Pride.
BUDDIES. Documents seen by Politico show Bulgaria approved spyware exports to intelligence and security agencies in countries with records of human rights abuses, including Serbia.
Barbed wire hurts
In 2015, the Balkans came into focus as large numbers of migrants and refugees crossed the peninsula on their way to the EU.
Back then, many countries in the region started putting up fences and barbed wire at their borders to stop migrants from entering.
Slovenia was one of them.
When Slovenia put barbed wire along the border with Croatia in 2015, protesters organised a volleyball match played on opposite sides. Still one of our favourite stunts from those days.
WHAT NOW? In 2022, as the number of migrants on the Balkan route declined, Slovenia started removing the barriers.
SOME THINGS STAY. Most of the fence is gone, but residents of the small border town of Bizeljsko aren’t exactly happy.
Pieces of barbed wire remain scattered around the area, endangering people and animals.
And making it clear that, yeah, barbed wire hurts.
IN OTHER NEWS
Since 2000, nearly 2.5 million acres of land have burned in Greece – roughly the size of Cyprus. And the aftermath of the 2009 debt crisis is still affecting the country’s ability to fight wildfires.
Romania’s second designated prime minister failed to form a government. The country remains stuck in a political deadlock, and if things don’t move soon, new elections could follow – likely strengthening the far right.
The BBC launched a Romanian-language news service.
In Kosovo, the centre-right LDK is reconsidering its support for Vjosa Osmani as the country’s next president.
FERRY TO THE WEST. Transnistria is an unrecognised breakaway region of Moldova. The two are separated by the Dniestr River ...
OR ARE THEY? Molovata Nouă is a small town on the eastern side of the Dniestr. It’s surrounded by Transnistria, but still part of Moldova.
To avoid crossing separatist territory, residents rely on a ferry service that has been running since 2000.
Moldova Matters has the story. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
In 1980, the French TV show La Chasse aux trésors dedicated a full episode to Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s packed with fascinating footage of the city in the 1980s, including a helicopter flight under the Old Bridge (8:28 in the video). Srećko Prentović, the pilot who flew the helicopter, died on 23 June.
GOLDEN LILIES. If you’ve been following Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup, you may have noticed that many fans wave a flag that isn’t the country’s official one.
Julian Borges, writing in The Guardian, explains why.
And that’s a wrap for this week. As always, if you spot a mistake, want to add something, or just say hi, reply to this email or leave us a comment on Substack. We’re always happy to hear from you.
If you’re curious about our work, we wrote about it in this special issue. AI was used to lightly polish the text.
Until next week, take care!
BB
RIP Slavenka