Montenegro to expel founder of Russian war blog Rybar, citing security reasons
Montenegro has decided to expel Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the Russian war blog Rybar, citing security reasons. Zvinchuk, a former Russian Defense Ministry official, was detained along with his wife and three other Russians on charges of spreading 'Russian influence.' The expulsion is part of a broader effort to prevent destabilization in the country.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the Russian war blog Rybar, has been detained in Montenegro.
- ✓ Zvinchuk was detained along with his wife and three other Russians on charges of spreading 'Russian influence.'
- ✓ Montenegro has decided to expel Zvinchuk, citing security reasons.
- ✓ The detention and expulsion are part of a broader effort to prevent destabilization in Montenegro.
What changed
Montenegro's decision to expel Zvinchuk was announced after his detention on October 9, with authorities citing security concerns.
Live updates
-
Montenegro to expel founder of Russian war blog Rybar
Montenegro has decided to expel Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the Russian war blog Rybar, citing security reasons. Zvinchuk, a former Russian Defense Ministry official, was detained along with his wife and three other Russians on charges of spreading 'Russian influence.' The expulsion is part of a broader effort to prevent destabilization in the country.
Why it matters
The detention and expulsion of Zvinchuk and others are linked to alleged attempts to destabilize Montenegro. The country has been a NATO member since 2017 and has maintained a delicate relationship with Russia. The Rybar blog has been influential in spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda.
What is confirmed
- Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the Russian war blog Rybar, has been detained in Montenegro.
- Zvinchuk was detained along with his wife and three other Russians on charges of spreading 'Russian influence.'
- Montenegro has decided to expel Zvinchuk, citing security reasons.
- The detention and expulsion are part of a broader effort to prevent destabilization in Montenegro.
Still unconfirmed
- A Putin ally threatened to take US prisoners after Zvinchuk's arrest.
What to watch next
- Further developments in Montenegro's relations with Russia
- The impact of Zvinchuk's expulsion on Russian influence in the region
- Any potential responses from the Russian government
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (18)
- The Kyiv Independent — Founder of Rybar, Russian war propaganda channel, detained in Montenegro
- CNN — Russian pro-Kremlin war blogger and founder of ‘Rybar’ Telegram channel detained in Montenegro
- AP News — Russian pro-war blogger among 5 arrested in Montenegro over alleged destabilization plot
- Українська правда — Russian propagandist and founder of Rybar channel detained in Montenegro
- The Moscow Times — Montenegro Arrests Founder of Influential Russian Pro-War Blog Rybar
- The Guardian — Pro-Kremlin Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk arrested in Montenegro
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Montenegro To Expel Head Of Russian Pro-War Blog Rybar
- Українська правда — Montenegro to deport Rybar propaganda network founder and four other Russians
- Newsweek — Putin Ally Threatens To Take US Prisoners After Russian War Blogger Arrested
- kyivindependent.com — Montenegro to expel founder of Russian war blog Rybar, citing security reasons
- www.jpost.com — Montenegro expels founder of pro-Kremlin war blog Rybar over security concerns
- www.theadvocate.com.au — Russian war blog Rybar founder arrested in Montenegro | The Advocate | Burnie, TAS
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community