Montenegro detains Rybar founder Mikhail Zvinchuk and four others

The Russian Embassy is establishing the circumstances, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Local outlet Vijesti reports that Zvinchuk’s wife and three other people were detained with him in Risan.

RBC reported that the Rybar team had travelled to Montenegro to film and that security services had monitored its members for several days. The channel’s team confirmed Zvinchuk’s detention with other Russian citizens, said it was in contact with the Russian Foreign Ministry and stated that the group had not violated local law. The project’s representatives said they expected the detainees to be released.

Montenegrin outlet Vijesti reported that police and the country’s National Security Agency carried out the operation in the Bay of Kotor area. Citing security-sector sources, it said the detainees were undergoing police processing. RBC’s initial report did not include official comments from Montenegrin authorities.

Rybar has about 1.5 million Telegram subscribers. In 2025, the United Kingdom sanctioned Zvinchuk as the head of Rybar LLC. In 2024, the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced a reward of up to $10 million for information about Rybar employees in connection with alleged interference in US elections.

At the time of publication, Moscow said its embassy was clarifying the circumstances. The available reports did not specify charges against the detainees.