The president of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic defied rulings by the international envoy to Bosnia, whose role is to prevent the multi-ethnic Balkan state slipping back into conflict.

Bosnia's state-level prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the entity of the Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and two other officials, accusing them of anti-constitutional conduct. View on eu

The recent Bosnian Serb moves are seen as part of escalating efforts to break the territory away from Bosnia and have been condemned by the United States and the European Union. Dodik, who has faced U.S. and Bristish sanctions, is backed by Moscow.