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Founder of Rybar, Russian war propaganda channel, detained in Montenegro

• 2 min read
Founder of Rybar, Russian war propaganda channel, detained in Montenegro
Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, who runs a Telegram account called Rybar, was interviewed by The Washington Post in Moscow on Nov. 1, 2024. (PFrancesca Ebel/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Montenegrin authorities detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the pro-Kremlin war blog Rybar, as reported by local media and confirmed by Montenegro's government on Oct. 9.

Zvinchuk, his wife Valeria Zvinchuk, and three other associates were detained in an operation by Montenegrin police and security service on the morning of Oct. 9 in the town of Risan, the Vijesti newspaper reported, citing its sources.

Rybar is one of Russia's most popular pro-war blogs with over 1.5 million followers on the Telegram app, focusing on the coverage of battlefield developments in Ukraine while promoting pro-Russian propaganda about the war.

The channel's staff has been subject to U.K. and EU sanctions, and the U.S. announced a $10 million reward in 2024 for information on Rybar's activities.

Zvinchuk was detained as part of a crackdown on Rybar's hybrid activities, which U.K. and U.S. authorities link to Russian propaganda and influence operations, according to Vijesti.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic confirmed Zvinchuk's detention, without disclosing further details about the operation.

"Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will jeopardize our European future," Spajic said on X.

Montenegro, a small nation in the Western Balkans, joined NATO in 2017 and is currently leading talks to join the EU.

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Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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