Czech police detain two Russian propagandists linked to "Rybar" project, order them to leave country
Czech police detained and interrogated Vitaly Chashchikhin and Igor Dolmatov, identified by Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation as operatives of the Russian propaganda project "Rybar," and ordered them to leave the Czech Republic within three days. The detention followed an investigation by Czech outlet Seznam Zprávy, which had exposed a European network of Rybar operatives traveling within the Schengen zone and posing as documentary filmmakers to produce Kremlin-aligned content.
Key points
- Czech police detained Vitaly Chashchikhin and Igor Dolmatov and ordered them to leave the country within three days.
- Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation linked both to the Russian propaganda project "Rybar."
- Journalists from Seznam Zprávy located the Russian filming crew in central Prague and confronted them; Chashchikhin left the scene when identified.
- During interrogation, Chashchikhin and Dolmatov claimed to work for the sanctioned Russian publication "Izvestia."
- After the expulsion order, Chashchikhin returned to Germany, where he has lived for over ten years on a permanent residence permit.
- German customs authorities and prosecutors are examining possible EU sanctions violations by Chashchikhin, who reportedly produces reports for Russian media from Germany.
- Rybar operatives held EU residence permits and filmed in or planned operations in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Serbia, France and other countries.
Why it matters
The case lays bare how a Russian propaganda network operated across EU member states, using Schengen free movement and EU residence permits to produce and distribute content. It provides concrete operational details — names, routes, financing — that go beyond previous UK and EU sanctions designations against "Rybar" and its leader Mykhailo Zvinchuk. The follow-up checks by German authorities also show how one country's investigation is feeding into sanctions enforcement in another.
What happened
Investigative journalists from the Czech outlet Seznam Zprávy identified a Russian filming crew in central Prague as part of a broader European network operated by the Russian propaganda project "Rybar." During a conversation recorded with a hidden camera, Vitaly Chashchikhin confirmed he works for Rybar; when the journalists identified themselves, he left the scene. Czech police subsequently detained Chashchikhin and Igor Dolmatov, interrogated them, and ordered both to leave the country within three days. During interrogation, the two tried to pass themselves off as employees of the sanctioned Russian publication "Izvestia." Chashchikhin then returned to Germany, where he has resided for over ten years under a permanent residence permit and reportedly produces reports for Russian media. Czech police passed information about his activities to their German counterparts, and German customs authorities and prosecutors are now checking for possible EU sanctions violations.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation (ЦПД) at the National Security and Defense Council was the main Ukrainian channel for the story, reporting via Telegram and citing Ukrinform. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, used the Cognitive Influence and Resilience Forum to frame the case as evidence that Russia invests heavily in propaganda and manipulation, while arguing that Ukraine possesses the capabilities to counter Moscow on the information front.
Background
The UK and the EU had previously imposed sanctions on the "Rybar" media project, its leader Mykhailo Zvinchuk, and ten other participants, citing interference in elections in various countries and the spread of anti-Ukrainian narratives. According to the investigation, the Moscow-based producer of the European operation is Boris Dvorkin, linked to a fund headed by Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. Rybar operatives held EU residence permits, including in Germany, traveled freely in the Schengen zone, presented themselves as documentary filmmakers, and sought interviews with local experts and politicians to lend an appearance of objectivity to content promoting Kremlin narratives about the "decline of Europe."