Between September 1-12, 2015, the Russian government-connected Night Wolves biker gang visited the Russian embassy in Podgorica, Montenegro and met with Russian Ambassador to Montenegro Sergey Gritsai as part of the “Russian Road” bike tour. According to the Night Wolves’ website, the group considered creating a pilgrimage center alongside the Russian cultural-information center in Podgorica. According to Bellingcat, “Rather than simply being commemorations or benign events, (these processions) are partly about spreading ideas of a Russian historical claim to territories based on religion and ethnicity.” In 2014, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the Night Wolves due to their support for Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The Treasury Department described the group as “closely connected to the Russian special services.”