Montenegro orders expulsion of Rybar founder Mikhail Zvinchuk and companions
Montenegro’s authorities announced the expulsion of Rybar founder Mikhail Zvinchuk and other Russians following their detention in Risan. Police and the national security agency cited national and internal security grounds.
Zvinchuk, a former Russian defence ministry official, was detained on October 9 with companions including his wife. A later Vijesti report citing police described five Russian nationals. The original Reuters report named four people facing expulsion, leaving a discrepancy between the accounts over the group’s size.
Rybar said its representatives were legally in Montenegro and intended to film at a monastery. Before the expulsion announcement, the project said it expected their release because they had not violated local law. Russia’s embassy in Podgorica requested an explanation for the arrests.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic announced the operation and linked it to protecting Montenegro’s interests and European future. Allegations about spreading Russian influence represent the positions of authorities and local media sources. An expulsion announcement does not itself amount to a criminal conviction.
Rybar covers Russia’s war against Ukraine and has more than 1.5 million subscribers. Britain sanctioned ten people linked to the project in July, citing false narratives about Ukraine and interference in elections. Moscow regularly denies accusations of disinformation and sabotage.
Relations between Montenegro and Russia deteriorated after the Adriatic country joined NATO in 2017. In 2022, Podgorica imposed sanctions over the war in Ukraine, banned Russian state media and expelled diplomats on espionage allegations. Montenegro remains a candidate for European Union membership.
In October 2024, the US State Department offered up to $10 million for information about 19 people involved in running Rybar-linked channels. US authorities said those channels promoted Russian political interests ahead of the presidential election.
