Founder of Russian war blog Rybar arrested in Montenegro
Police detained the Rybar founder and four others as authorities investigated suspected Russian influence operations and hybrid activities, officials said.
- On Friday, authorities in Montenegro arrested Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the influential Russian war blog Rybar, in the Adriatic resort of Risan following warnings of hybrid warfare attempts to destabilize the country.
- Intelligence agencies monitored the group for several days after arrival as the National Security Agency executed an operation targeting 'hybrid activities' by Russian information networks suspected of undermining Montenegro's interests.
- Rybar-Led channels claim the team, including creative director Valeria Zvinchuk, was in the country legally and planning to film at a monastery. The Russian Foreign Ministry is working "to resolve the situation," Rybar posted.
- The United States State Department previously offered up to $10 million for information on 19 individuals managing Rybar-led channels, alleging they promoted Russia's political interests ahead of 2024 elections and encouraged discord in the United States.
- "Montenegro is protecting its interests," Prime Minister Spajic stated, as the European Union candidate previously banned Russian state media and expelled diplomats over the war in Ukraine, signaling its pro-Western alignment.
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46 Articles
MIHAIL Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian propaganda network Rybar, was arrested in Montenegro with his associates. The network is linked to Kremlin propaganda, and Zvinchuk is under US and UK sanctions.
Montenegro Arrests Founder of Influential Russian Pro-War Blog Rybar
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.
A spy wanted by the United States two years ago, from 2024, was arrested in Montenegro. The U.S. State Department had a $10 million reward on its head.
The Telegram Channel "Rîbarň/Rybar now has more than 1.5 million subscribers and is an influential voice of pro-war propaganda in Russia. The authorities in Montenegro have detained Mihail Zvinciuk, the founder of the Russian pro-war propaganda channel "Rîbarʹ, writes the independent Russian website Meduza, which quotes local publications "Vijestiʹ and "Pobjedaʹ. Zvinciuk, his wife and several members of ...
After this morning's big action by the Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency, when the leaders and members of the Russian-Russian hybrid network "Rybar" in Montenegro - Mihail and Valerija Zvinčuk and three other associates - were arrested, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić also spoke.
The Russian Embassy in Montenegro is investigating the circumstances of the detention of the founder of the "Rybar" television channel, stating to "Interfax" the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zaharova. "The Russian Embassy in Montenegro is investigating the circumstances", she said, in response to the question whether the Ministry had relevant information and whether the Embassy would…
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