Founder of Z-channel "Rybar" Mikhail Zvinchuk returned to Russia after detention in Montenegro
Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife Valeriya, and three colleagues flew to Moscow from Belgrade on the night of October 11. Montenegrin authorities deemed them a threat to national security and ordered them to leave the country.
Zvinchuk told journalists about his return at the Moscow airport. According to him, Russian diplomats and state structures facilitated the group's release. However, their confiscated equipment was not returned. The Russian embassy is dealing with the issue of its return.
Zvinchuk and his companions were detained on the morning of October 9 in the Montenegrin town of Risan. The operation was carried out by the police together with the National Security Agency. The group's phones, cameras, drone, and other digital equipment were seized. Later, all five were released, with an order to leave the country.
According to Montenegrin publications, the operation was aimed at stopping the hybrid activities of a network of channels linked to Russian military intelligence.
The "Rybar" team did not hide their presence in the country: they stayed in a five-star hotel and submitted an application in advance for filming at Cetinje Monastery.
Zvinchuk entered the Balkans via Germany. On October 2, he flew from Memmingen to Sarajevo, although he has been under European Union sanctions since 2023.
After five days in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he traveled to Montenegro.
Zvinchuk is a former employee of the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. His Telegram channel "Rybar", which supports the war against Ukraine, has over one and a half million subscribers.
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