< Back to all clusters
[INTERNATIONAL] · Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina · 68 sources

started · updated

Montenegro expels Russian Rybar network founder Mikhail Zvinchuk

Montenegrin authorities, including the police and the National Security Agency (ANB), have expelled Mikhail Zvinchuk and four other Russian citizens from the country. Zvinchuk, the founder of the Russian military Telegram network Rybar and a GRU colonel, was detained in Risan along with his wife, Valerija, and three associates.

The operation was conducted following intelligence monitoring of the group's activities. Authorities seized sophisticated digital equipment, including drones, high-resolution cameras, and mobile devices. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić described the action as a success aimed at protecting Montenegro’s national security and its European future against hybrid threats.

Zvinchuk, who is subject to sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom, claimed the group entered Montenegro legally from Bosnia and Herzegovina to film a documentary series regarding religious structures and Russian-Balkan relations. Following their expulsion, the group traveled to Belgrade, Serbia, where they announced plans to seek legal counsel.

Entities

Agency for National Security · European Union · Mihail Zvinčuk · Mikhail Zvinchuk · Milojko Spajić · Montenegro · Russian Embassy in Podgorica · Russian Federation · Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Rybar · Serbia · Valeria Zvinchuk

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources