The European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) will nearly double its military personnel in the country over the risk of instability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Nearly 500 new personnel will be deployed in BiH over the next two weeks from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia. They will join the current 600 EUFOR personnel stationed in BiH since 2014.
“The deterioration of the security situation internationally has the potential to spread instability to Bosnia and Herzegovina […] Their mission will be to demonstrate the EU’s determination to maintain stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a prudent and proportionate measure which reflects the EU’s and EUFOR’s unequivocal commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” EUFOR stated.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been under the Serb entity’s threat of dissolution for years. Bosnia’s Serb leader Milorad Dodik has been working to form an independent state, supported by Serbia and Russia.
Serbia, an EU member candidate, is the only country in the region that has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
