Montenegro expelled the founder of the Russian propaganda network "Rybar" on security grounds
Kyiv • UNN
Mikhail Zvinchuk and four other people were detained and it was decided to expel them from Montenegro on security grounds. A drone, cameras and phones were confiscated from them.
On Friday, the Montenegrin authorities decided to expel an influential Russian “war correspondent” (military blogger) and four other people after they were detained on suspicion of attempting to destabilize the situation in the country, UNN reports, citing AP.
According to the police, the group arrived in Montenegro two days ago. The authorities ordered their expulsion on grounds of “national and internal security.” No further details were provided.
Blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk is a former serviceman who worked in the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. He founded the Telegram channel “Rybar,” which has more than 1.5 million subscribers, and actively supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Police said that Zvinchuk and the others were detained in the coastal town of Risan, where they were staying at a hotel. Law enforcement officers confiscated “modern digital equipment and devices,” including a drone, two cameras, and several phones.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, who reported the detentions earlier on Friday, said: “Our institutions are doing their job, Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will jeopardize our European future.”
“We warned that attempts to undermine Montenegro’s stability and destabilize the situation in the country through hybrid actions constantly accompany our European path,” he added.
The country, which was once an ally of Moscow, is now a NATO member and aspires to join the European Union.
In addition
Earlier, a message appeared on the Rybar Telegram channel saying that the group had planned to film a video at a monastery, having notified the authorities in advance. It also stated that the channel was in contact with the Russian Foreign Ministry, which was handling the matter.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian diplomats would determine the reasons for Zvinchuk’s and the others’ detention and help protect their rights. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Russian embassy in Montenegro was handling the matter.
Zvinchuk, who fervently supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is one of Russia’s most popular military bloggers.
After arriving in Montenegro, Zvinchuk posted a video in which he said that he had entered the country despite being on the EU sanctions lists. He attributed this to the inattention of a border guard who apparently failed to notice his sanctioned status. Montenegro—a country with a population of about 630,000, located on the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea—is regarded as the next candidate for EU membership. This Slavic state, where the majority of the population is Orthodox, was historically an ally of Moscow, but went against Russia’s position and joined NATO in 2017.
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, thousands of Russians moved to Montenegro. The country joined the EU and other Western countries in imposing sanctions on Russia, and has been introducing a visa regime for Russian citizens since November 1.
Pro-European Montenegrin officials have repeatedly warned that Russia may resort to “hybrid” operations to derail the country’s accession process to the bloc.
Montenegrin police said that a “timely and coordinated response” had prevented any harmful actions that could have been carried out on the country’s territory.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, Dmitry Medvedev—Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012 and now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council—said that a “hunt has been declared” for all Russians traveling to Europe, adding that “anyone can be arrested.”
Medvedev, known as a fierce critic of the West and one of Russia’s most radical officials, also suggested that the Russian authorities could take retaliatory measures by arresting citizens of European countries and the United States.