SNSD President Milorad Dodik continues his attempts to compromise Bosniaks on the international stage, and his often dangerous accusations do not receive an adequate response. In an interview with Russian TASS, he claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attempted to purchase ammunition worth 400 million dollars from "Bosnian Muslims," but that his people did not give their consent. Dodik claims that Ukraine "paid an advance to Muslims who are now facing legal proceedings because they could not deliver."

That this involves brutal lies and that the export of BiH defense industry products to Ukraine is completely impossible is clear to anyone who is even minimally familiar with the regulations in force.

Authorization Required

- For every order, or contract with a foreign buyer, it is necessary to obtain an export license. Furthermore, our state has a list of countries to which exports are prohibited, especially those in which military operations are ongoing or that are on blacklists. We have no information that anyone could have attempted anything, given that it is common knowledge that export to Ukraine is impossible and that licenses for that country cannot be obtained – said Almin Mališević, director of the Industry and Services Sector of the Chamber of Commerce of FBiH, to "Avaz."

This is confirmed by data from the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, according to which in the first four months the value of exports of weapons and ammunition from BiH amounted to approximately 67.5 million KM, of which the largest portion relates to ammunition, bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles and similar devices. On the list of countries to which we export are the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Great Britain, Serbia, Iraq, Switzerland, Turkey, the USA, Slovakia... but of course not Ukraine.

BiH Defense Minister comments on Dodik's accusations as a substitution of theses and an attempt to shift responsibility from Serbia, which has already faced accusations from Russia that it is supplying ammunition to Ukraine. He claims that BiH companies have never exported to Ukraine.

- What I know for certain is that Serbia exports directly or indirectly, which the media have also reported and is not a secret. Whether it happens that some Serbian company, which buys from BiH, exports it to Ukraine – I cannot guarantee that – says Helez.

The "Vitezit" Case

Dodik's claims, by all accounts, may be related to a complex international investigation into an advance payment received and undelivered mortar projectiles, but this no longer has anything to do with "Bosnian Muslims" and companies from the defense industry sector, but rather with the former Vitezit, part of which was purchased by the Zagreb-based WDG Promet, owned by Matias Zubak, son of Croatian arms dealer Zvonko Zubak. A month ago, the Special Division of the Supreme Court of FBiH confirmed an indictment against Tomislav Zubak, Behrija Huseinbegović, Josip Raič, Nikola Čate and the legal entity WDG Vitez for money laundering and other criminal offenses.

WDG Promet Zagreb, in the absence of other funds, used monetary funds in the amount of 10,800,000 marks for the purchase of PS Vitezit property in bankruptcy, which were paid to them for the procurement of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine – was previously announced from the Federal Prosecution. According to "Žurnal," the prosecution offices of Ukraine and the Czech Republic requested international legal assistance from BiH regarding the purchase of Vitezit, the paid advance and undelivered equipment.

Akos Horvat and Regulus

Helez says that something similar to Vitezit happened with Akos Horvat from the American Regulus.

- Horvat is a man who took 250 million dollars or euros from Ukraine. At this moment I'm not sure, but I have an official letter from the Government of Ukraine. With that, he bought approximately 25 percent of Binas shares and approximately 45 percent of Pretis shares. Representatives of the Government of Ukraine warned me about that. This was done with Vitezit as well and now legal proceedings are underway. As for BiH's defense industry, I responsibly claim that not a single company directly exports to Ukraine – says Helez.