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Montenegro on Friday detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the influential Russian war blog Rybar, after warnings of attempts to destabilize the country, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said.
Zvinchuk, a former Russian Defense Ministry official, was detained with his wife and colleague Valeriya Zvinchuk and three other Russians in the Adriatic resort of Risan on charges of spreading "Russian influence," Montenegrin newspaper Pobjeda reported, citing sources.
Zvinchuk, 35, is wanted by the U.S. for alleged election interference and sanctioned by the EU and Britain, and his arrest in a NATO member and EU candidate country comes as European governments warn of Russian hybrid attacks.
Spajic said on X that the detention followed warnings that Montenegro would face destabilization attempts and hybrid warfare.
"There are serious indications that require every lead to be carefully examined and every connection to be viewed in a broader context," he wrote, adding, "The message after today’s successful operation, in which the head of the Rybar information network was detained, is clear. Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will jeopardize our European future."
The group had planned to film a documentary criticizing Montenegro’s steps toward the EU, which would have had "negative consequences for tourism, economic stability and Montenegro’s national interests," security sources told the Vijesti daily.
Rybar, which has more than 1.5 million subscribers, said the group was in Montenegro legally and planned to film at the Cetinje Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox site.
"Since there were no violations of local legislation, we expect all detainees to be released," Rybar said.
The Russian Embassy in Podgorica demanded clarification of the reasons for the arrests and immediate consular access.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian diplomats would determine the reasons for the detention and, "as in the case of every Russian citizen, will work to protect his rights," TASS reported.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Russia may need to "top up" its prisoner exchange fund with European and U.S. citizens to free Russians held in Europe.
"It's a mistake, of course, for our people to be travelling around European countries. Even if they have good intentions and important goals. Potentially, all (and I emphasise, all) Russians are being hunted down," Medvedev said on Telegram.
In October 2024, the U.S. State Department offered up to $10 million for information on 19 people managing Rybar-led channels, saying it had sought to "promote social division, stoke partisan and racial discord, and encourage hate and violence in the United States."
The EU accused Zvinchuk of spreading "disinformation and pro-Kremlin propaganda about the war."
Britain sanctioned him last December.
Montenegro accused Russia in 2016 of plotting a coup, which the Kremlin denied, and joined NATO in 2017.
It imposed sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine in 2022, after which Moscow declared it an enemy state, as the Rybar case adds new strain to ties.
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