RUSSIAN BLOGGER MIKHAIL ZVINCHUK ARRESTED IN MONTENEGRO

Montenegrin authorities arrested Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the pro-Kremlin Rybar military blog, in the coastal town of Risan on Friday on suspicion of trying to destabilise the country, officials said. He was detained alongside his wife and three other Russians by police and security agents, according to local media reports. Montenegro's prime minister, Milojko Spajić, confirmed the arrest, describing it as a "successful operation" and saying the country had been warned of attempts to undermine it through hybrid activities. Reports differ on the exact detail of the operation, but both accounts agree the group was taken to the capital, Podgorica, for questioning, with their phones and passports confiscated. A statement from Rybar said the group had planned to film a monastery after notifying authorities, and that the channel was in contact with Russia's foreign ministry over the matter.

Zvinchuk, a former press officer at Russia's defence ministry, founded Rybar in 2018, and the Telegram channel has grown to more than 1.5 million subscribers covering the war in Ukraine and promoting narratives in Africa and the Middle East. The Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Russian diplomats would determine the reason for the arrests and help protect those detained, while Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the Russian embassy in Montenegro was looking into the case. Zvinchuk reportedly posted a video after entering Montenegro saying he had got in despite being on European sanctions lists, attributing this to a border guard failing to notice his status. Britain sanctioned Zvinchuk and Rybar in December 2025 over allegations of spreading Kremlin propaganda.

Montenegro, a NATO member seeking European Union membership, has said its institutions are "protecting its interests" against attempts to jeopardise its European path, according to Spajić. Montenegrin police had not commented further on the allegations at the time of reporting. The case comes as Montenegro, a former Moscow ally, continues its bid for EU accession.