UK group Bellingcat names Russian suspect in Montenegro plot

Investigative group Bellingcat and Russian website 'The Insider' claim they have identified a second Russian GRU military intelligence officer involved in a 2016 coup attempt in Montenegro.

Montenegro's prosecutors have accused two Russian GRU officers of organizing the botched coup attempt in order to prevent the small Balkan nation from joining NATO. Russia has opposed Montenegro's bid as part of the alliance's expansion eastward, but denied any involvement in the plot. Montenegro joined NATO in June.

Bellingcat and 'The Insider' had previously said the first GRU suspect was Eduard Shishmakov.

On Thursday, they said they had determined the real name of the second suspect, who only had been known to Montenegro prosecutors under his cover identity, Vladimir Popov.

They said the officer's true name is Vladimir Moiseev.