Authorities in Montenegro have arrested Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the influential pro-war Russian Telegram channel Rybar, in an operation targeting suspected Russian influence activities, officials confirmed Friday.
The U.S. State Department is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Zvinchuk, a former Russian Defense Ministry press officer, and other Rybar staff over their alleged involvement in election interference and malign influence operations.
Montenegro’s police and National Security Agency (ANB) carried out the operation targeting “hybrid activities” by Russian information networks, security sources told the news outlet Vijesti.
Those detained include Zvinchuk’s wife, Rybar creative director Valeria Zvinchuk and with three associates, the outlet reported.
Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, whose government is seeking to bring Montenegro into the European Union by 2028, confirmed Zvinchuk’s detention.
“Montenegro is protecting its interests and no one will endanger our European future,” Spajić wrote on X.
Intelligence agencies had monitored the group for several days after its arrival in Montenegro to film material about the Balkan country’s alignment with EU visa policies, the Russian news outlet Readovka reported.
Authorities suspected the material was intended to undermine Montenegro’s tourism industry, economy and national interests, according to the report.
Unconfirmed reporting by the Russian Telegram news channel Baza claimed that officers detained Zvinchuk at 7:30 a.m. local time at the Mövenpick Hotel in Risan. It said the group was taken to Podgorica for questioning and their phones and passports were confiscated.
Rybar said its team was in Montenegro legally to film a local monastery and that it expected their prompt release.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Russian Embassy in Podgorica was working to establish the circumstances of the detention.
Rybar has about 1.5 million Telegram subscribers and publishes daily military analysis of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Zvinchuk is subject to Western sanctions.
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