Montenegro arrests head of well-known Russian sham news channel

On the morning of October 9, Montenegrin police and the national security agency arrested Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of Rybar, one of the best-known Russian war propaganda channels, who was detained along with his wife and three colleagues in Risan, on the Bay of Kotor. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić confirmed the action and linked it to hybrid operations aimed at destabilizing Montenegro and obstructing its European integration, while indicating that details falling under the purview of the security services would not be made public.

According to security sources cited by the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, the group was found with drones, phones and advanced digital equipment, and the purpose of their visit was to produce documentary material portraying the visa restrictions tied to the country's EU accession as a politically forced step harmful to tourism, the economy and national interests. Rybar, for its part, stressed in its own statement that its staff had been in the country legally, that they had also planned to film at the Cetinje monastery, for which they had submitted an official request in advance, and that they therefore expected to be released soon. In any case, Zvinchuk himself made sure his trip to Montenegro did not go unnoticed: before his arrest, he had publicly boasted that, despite the sanctions and entry restrictions imposed on him, he had managed to get into the country, and then mocked the border guards. In a post dated October 7, cited by Novaya Gazeta Europe, he wrote that there is always some foolish border guard who turns out the traveler's pockets but forgets to check the database; two days later, he was the one being dealt with by the very Montenegrin authorities whose vigilance he had held in such low regard.

Rybar, founded by Zvinchuk, who previously worked for the Russian defense ministry's press service, has grown into a Telegram channel with more than a million and a half followers, which, alongside its support for the war against Ukraine, occasionally criticizes the performance of the Russian military leadership. Its activities, however, extend far beyond reporting on the front line, since the organization, which presents itself as a military analysis center, operates a network of channels focused on various regions, including the Balkans.

According to the official description of the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice program, Rybar was previously financed by Yevgeny Prigozhin and currently receives payment for contract work from Russia's state defense-industry giant Rostec, relying on its connections to spread pro-Russian, anti-Western messaging. Washington is offering a reward of up to ten million dollars for information related to the network's interference in American elections, and lists Zvinchuk and his wife by name among the staff involved. The Americans particularly highlight campaigns built around the immigration conflict in Texas, through which the organization sought to stoke social division and partisan and racial tensions in the United States.

Reports made public so far have not confirmed that the Montenegrin action was carried out at the request of the United States, and the reward offer alone does not amount to an international arrest warrant or a U.S. extradition procedure. The prime minister justified the local authorities' action by citing Montenegro's security interests, while no detailed information has yet been released about the exact criminal charges. Moscow's reaction, however, has already gone far beyond providing consular assistance: while the Russian embassy requested an explanation and access to the detained citizens, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, spoke of the need to "replenish" Russia's stock of European and American citizens that could be used for prisoner exchanges.

Behind the case lies Montenegro's rapprochement with the European Union, as part of which it will abolish, starting November 1, general visa-free travel for Russian and Belarusian citizens; the decision, adopted in July, also covers China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Certain exceptions remain in place, so that, for example, travelers with a valid Schengen, American, British or Irish visa, or with a residence permit from the countries concerned, can still enter without a separate Montenegrin visa for a limited period, but the previous possibility of easy entry based solely on a passport will end for the citizens affected.

Zvinchuk's story has thus taken a particularly awkward turn: he set out to film the consequences of the rapprochement with Europe, while using his own entry into the country to demonstrate how easily, in his view, local controls could be circumvented — only to end up detained as a figure in an operation investigating Russian influence activities. According to Spajić's message, Montenegro will defend its interests and will not allow its European future to be jeopardized, which could prove a far more serious obstacle to Rybar's operations in the Balkans than the visa requirement to be introduced in November.

Ugar