Zvinchuk, a former Russian defense ministry press officer, is a target of a $10M US bounty for alleged election interference and could face 15 years in prison if extradited under Montenegro's treaty with the US. The Rybar network, which has 1.5 million subscribers, claims the team entered the country legally and is working with the Russian foreign ministry for release. In response to the arrest, Dmitry Medvedev warned that all Russians in Europe may now be hunted down and suggested seizing Western nationals to replenish the pool for prisoner exchanges.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Montenegro Expels Rybar Founder Mikhail Zvinchuk and 4 Associates
Geopolitics12 days ago
The national security agency in Montenegro seized drones and electronic equipment from the Mövenpick Hotel in Risan during a dawn raid that led to the detention of a Russian influence team on Oct. 9. The interior ministry is now expelling the group, consisting of Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the Rybar military blog, his wife Valeria and three staff members, after labeling them a threat to national security. Authorities had monitored the team for several days and allege they planned a documentary to frame Montenegro's alignment with European Union visa rules as a danger to the local economy.
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