Creator of Z-channel "Rybar" Mikhail Zvinchuk detained in Montenegro
Among those detained are Mikhail Zvinchuk's wife and associate Valeria Zvinchuk, as well as three other people.
Mikhail Zvinchuk, creator of the propaganda channel "Rybar". Screenshot from video
Mikhail Zvinchuk, along with several of his employees, was detained on the morning of October 9 in the city of Risan, Montenegrin publications Vijesti and Pobjeda report.
Among those detained are Mikhail Zvinchuk's wife and associate Valeria Zvinchuk, as well as three other people.
The detention operation was carried out by the Montenegrin police in cooperation with the country's National Security Agency. It is aimed at "stopping hybrid activities" of a subversive network of channels linked to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Mikhail Zvinchuk is a former employee of the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. He created the Telegram channel "Rybar" (which now has over 1.5 million subscribers) together with his colleague Denis Shchukin.
The publication The Bell wrote that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of PMC "Wagner", participated in the financing of the Telegram channel.
"Rybar" and similar channels became tools for manipulating public consciousness, inciting hatred towards Ukraine and European countries, and preparing public opinion for war.