A Croatian Air Force pilot and his Serbian partner have been placed in custody on suspicion of espionage, Croatia’s District Prosecutor’s Office in Split said on Thursday.
The pilot, identified as J.I., 54, is accused of disclosing classified military information while serving in Kosovo as part of NATO’s KFOR mission. His long-time partner, A.M., 46, faces lesser charges of collecting and transmitting secret data. She is being held due to flight risk and possible influence on witnesses.
If convicted, J.I. faces up to 10 years in prison, while A.M. could receive up to five years. Both deny wrongdoing. The pilot told investigators his partner had only sent him weather updates relevant to his flights, insisting he was the victim of a “set-up.” A.M. has claimed she worked with Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND).
According to prosecutors, the charges are based on encrypted messages exchanged by the couple. In one, A.M. allegedly urged a childhood friend, Kosovo Serb leader Vladimir Radivojević – known as “Mami” – to “iron out” the Dec. 25, 2022, attack on KFOR troops in Zubin Potok. The same day, J.I. wrote to her: “You really screwed up last night,” investigators said.
Radivojević, from Mitrovica, is considered by Kosovo authorities as a senior figure in the so-called “Northern Brigade,” which they link to Belgrade-backed structures. He has also been charged over the 2023 armed attack in Banjska.
The couple, who met in 2016 while serving in Kosovo – he with KFOR, she as a translator for the EU’s rule of law mission, EULEX – have maintained a nine-year on-and-off relationship. A.M. frequently visited Croatia, where she was arrested earlier this year.
The Split court ruled there was no risk of repeat offences since the pilot no longer serves with KFOR. The investigation will seek to establish the scope of information allegedly passed on by the pair.
Germany, a key NATO member in KFOR, was among the first states to recognise Kosovo’s independence and remains one of its main donors in infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic development.