A leading pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger, Mikhail Zvinchuk, has been arrested in Montenegro amid warnings of attempts to destabilize the Balkan country. Zvinchuk, the founder of the influential Rybar war blog, was detained on Friday alongside his wife and three other Russians in the Adriatic resort town of Risan.
Arrest Details
Local media reported that the arrests were made by police and security agents on suspicion of spreading Russian influence. Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić, confirmed Zvinchuk’s detention in a post on X, stating it followed warnings that the country would face attempts at destabilization and hybrid warfare.
According to the Russian Telegram news channel Baza, Zvinchuk was detained at the luxury Mövenpick hotel in Risan. The group was subsequently taken to Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, for questioning, and their phones and passports were confiscated.
Background on Rybar
Founded in 2018 by Zvinchuk, a former press officer at Russia’s defense ministry, Rybar is one of the most popular Russian military blogs covering the war in Ukraine, boasting over 1.5 million subscribers on Telegram. The blog is part of a broader online media ecosystem that promotes Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, extending its influence to regions such as Africa and the Middle East.
Recently, Rybar has been accused of amplifying far-right narratives related to the migration crisis in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.
