Montenegro detains founder of Russian propaganda network "Rybar" and four associates
Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian propaganda network "Rybar," along with his wife Valeriya Zvinchuk and three associates in the city of Risan on 9 October. The operation aimed at countering the network's hybrid and information-influence activities in the country. Zvinchuk is under EU, UK, and US sanctions, and the US State Department has a standing offer of up to $10 million for information on "Rybar" associates.
Key points
- Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian Telegram channel "Rybar" (Рыбарь), was detained in Risan, Montenegro, on 9 October
- His wife and collaborator Valeriya Zvinchuk and three other people were also detained, for a total of five
- The operation was carried out by Montenegrin police in cooperation with the National Security Agency (ANB)
- Montenegrin authorities say the aim was to suppress the "Rybar" network's hybrid activities in the country
- Zvinchuk is under EU sanctions since 2023, under UK sanctions, and listed by the US State Department for malicious influence operations targeting the US electoral process
- The US "Rewards for Justice" program offers up to $10 million for information on "Rybar" associates
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the detention, saying the ministry is looking into the circumstances
Why it matters
The detention targets the founder of one of the largest Russian-language pro-Kremlin propaganda networks operating on Telegram and across multiple languages. Zvinchuk is under EU, UK, and US sanctions, and the US State Department has a standing "Rewards for Justice" offer of up to $10 million for information on "Rybar" associates. The operation was carried out specifically to counter hybrid and information-influence activities by the network inside Montenegro, and the seizure of drones and digital equipment during the detention points to operational activity beyond content publishing. Both the US and UK authorities link "Rybar" to the Russian presidential administration, Russian special services, and funding from sanctioned state corporation Rostec.
What happened
On Friday, 9 October, Montenegrin police, working with the National Security Agency (ANB), detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian propaganda network "Rybar," in the city of Risan. His wife and collaborator Valeriya Zvinchuk and three other associates were also detained, bringing the total to five. According to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Baza, Zvinchuk was taken into custody at around 7:30 local time (08:30 Kyiv time) at the Mövenpick hotel and was later transported along with his wife to Podgorica for questioning, with phones and documents seized. Montenegrin authorities opened a criminal investigation and stated that the operation aimed at suppressing the hybrid activities of the "Rybar" network in the country, and that they are investigating the possible scope of the network's activities in Montenegro and its methods of financing. Reports indicate Montenegrin security services had been tracking members of the network's stay in the country for several days before the detention. Drones, digital equipment, electronic devices, and mobile phones were reportedly seized from the detainees.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All sources covering the detention are Ukrainian-language media, which frame the operation as a counter-propaganda strike against a Kremlin-linked network. Coverage emphasizes "Rybar"'s ties to Russian special services, the Russian presidential administration, and sanctioned state corporation Rostec, and consistently describes Zvinchuk as a "propagandist" and "Rybar" as a Russian propaganda network. Ukrainian outlets foreground commentary from former head of the NSDC's Center for Countering Disinformation Andrii Kovalenko, who called the detention very good news, stressed Zvinchuk's role in Russian hybrid activity, and said it would be important for him to end up in the hands of US law enforcement. The US "Rewards for Justice" offer of up to $10 million for information on "Rybar" associates is highlighted as a key piece of context.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the stated purpose of Zvinchuk's visit to Montenegro: Montenegrin security sources say the detained group planned to film manipulative documentary content presenting Montenegro's alignment of its visa policy with EU standards as a politically imposed process with negative consequences, while the "Rybar" Telegram channel claims the Russian citizens were in the country legally and intended to film the Cetinje Monastery. Sources also describe Zvinchuk's status with Russian military intelligence inconsistently: the Montenegrin outlet Pobjeda describes him as a GRU colonel responsible for hybrid operations, while other reports identify him only as a former employee of the Russian Ministry of Defense press service.
Background
"Rybar" was founded in 2018, originally as a platform for military analysis and conflict coverage, and later expanded into a network that Western institutions link to the spread of pro-Russian narratives and information-influence operations. The Institute for the Study of War reported in 2024 that the network comprises more than 250 channels in 28 languages, and its main Telegram channel has more than 1 million subscribers. According to the EU Council, Zvinchuk was considered a member of a working group created by Vladimir Putin to coordinate activity related to the war against Ukraine. Zvinchuk worked in the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense until 2019. The "Rybar" network has been under EU sanctions since 2023, and in July 2026 the EU and UK announced sanctions against 10 "Rybar" representatives for spreading false narratives about Ukraine and interfering in elections in Moldova and Armenia. In September 2026, journalists from the Czech outlet Seznam Zprávy reported that "Rybar" representatives operate in Europe and regularly give interviews to politicians, journalists, and experts in several EU countries.