Russia increased pressure on Serbia on October 17 to grant diplomatic status to the Russian staff of a controversial facility that U.S. officials believe could become Kremlin’s spy base in the Balkans.
Moscow has repeatedly denied reports that the so-called “Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center” in the southern city of Nis was a base for Russia to eavesdrop on the West in the Balkans — a tense region where Russia is vying for influence. Moscow says the center is only for humanitarian missions.
