Another group of Serbian nationals was jailed by Montenegrin authorities Wednesday in connection to a suspected Russian coup plot that aimed to block the Balkan country from joining NATO.
"Five citizens of Serbia admitted to being part of a criminal organization whose plan was to break into the parliament of Montenegro violently," in an attempt to seize it, Montenegro's state prosecutor said in a statement, AFP reported.
The five Serbians struck a plea agreement with prosecutors and will serve five months in prison.
Montenegrin authorities have accused Eduard Sismakov, an officer with Russia's GRU military intelligence service, of masterminding the election day coup attempt that included the assassination of Montenegro's former prime minster.
Officials suspect that Sismakov headed a network of Serbian and Russian nationalists and paramilitaries who were tasked with taking out former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. The Oct. 16 plot was disrupted hours before it was set to be carried out.
Montenegrin authorities are also seeking to arrest GRU operative Vladimir Popov in connection to the plot. Prosecutors suspect 25 people, primarily Serbian nationals, participated in the coup attempt.
Sismakov and Popov, who are still on the run, have denied all charges against them and say they do not know any of the Serbians who have so far been jailed.
Montenegro is set to join NATO in May. The Kremlin is against further expansion of NATO in Europe, and while Russian officials have repeatedly denied involvement in the coup attempt, the government has backed nationalist groups and parties that are opposed to Montenegro joining NATO.