Owner of Russian TV channel “Rybar” detained in Montenegro
фото: Vijesti
The head of the Russian propaganda network “Rybar” Mykhailo Zvinchuk and four of his accomplices were detained in Montenegro on the morning of October 9. Among those detained was the propagandist’s wife, Valeria Zvinchuk.
This is reported by the Montenegrin publications Vijesti and Pobjeda.
Zvinchuk was detained on the morning of October 9 in the town of Rysan. Among those detained were his wife and associate , Valeria Zvinchuk, as well as three other people.
The operation is being conducted by the Montenegrin police in conjunction with the country’s National Security Agency . Its goal is to disrupt the hybrid activities of the Rybar network , which British and American authorities have linked to the spread of Kremlin propaganda and foreign information influence operations .
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic confirmed Zvinchuk’s detention . He stressed that the country is protecting its own interests and will not allow anyone to threaten its European future.
“Now is not the time for hasty statements, but also for naive conclusions ,” Spajic wrote on the social network X.
What is known about the “ Rybar” network?
Mikhail Zvinchuk is a former employee of the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense . He created the Telegram channel “ Rybar”, which currently has over 1.5 million subscribers, together with his colleague Denis Shchukin.
Initially, the channel specialized in military analytics and coverage of armed conflicts, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it became part of an extensive network of information resources.
British authorities call Zvinchuk a co-owner and CEO of Rybar and claim that the network’s activities are partly coordinated by the Russian presidential administration . According to the UK , the project receives funding from the Russian state corporation Rostec and cooperates with representatives of Russian intelligence services.
Zvinchuk is under British sanctions. The US State Department has also linked him to foreign influence operations aimed at the US electoral process. The US is offering a reward of up to $ 10 million for information leading to the identification or capture of individuals involved in such interference .
According to The Bell , the founder of the private military company Wagner , Yevgeny Prigozhin, also participated in financing the Telegram channel.
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