Montenegro Arrests Rybar Telegram Founders Over Alleged Meddling
Police in Montenegro detained Mikhail and Valeria Zvinchuk, who co-founded the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Rybar, along with three other people. Authorities suspect them of trying to interfere politically in the Balkan country. The channel said the group was in Montenegro legally and had planned to film Cetinje Monastery.
Rybar began in 2018 and grew into a large Russian-language Telegram network with over 1.3 million subscribers. Mikhail Zvinchuk has faced EU sanctions since 2023 over accusations of spreading falsehoods and pro-Russian messaging; he also joined a Kremlin mobilization coordination group in late 2022. Both he and Valeria Zvinchuk appear on UK sanctions lists.
In 2024, Washington sought information on Rybar and offered $10 million, citing alleged election interference. That June, Zvinchuk visited Bosnia’s Republika Srpska and discussed a media school with a local IT agency official. Rybar says the Montenegro group entered legally and intended to film Cetinje Monastery under an official request.
The detentions may heighten scrutiny of Russian-linked media activity in Montenegro, affecting local journalists, diaspora communities, and political actors who engage with such channels. It could also strain Podgorica’s relations with Moscow and deepen public debate over foreign influence, while legal proceedings may test how authorities balance security concerns with press and movement freedoms. The outcome may shape how Balkan states handle similar cases.