A pro-Russian Telegram channel founder was arrested in Montenegro.
The US State Department offered a $10-million reward for intelligence on Rybar. He and his associates were taken into custody in Risno after two days of monitoring. The US State Department offered a $10-million reward for information on Rybar. Zvinchuk and his group moved to Serbia after being expelled from Montenegro.
- The US State Department offered a $10-million reward for intelligence on Rybar.
- Montenegrin police arrested Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife, and four associates in Montenegro, including two co-founders of the Rybar Telegram channel.
- Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency conducted an operation in Risno.
- Mihail Zvinchuk and colleagues were expelled from Montenegro and arrived in Belgrade, Serbia.
- The US State Department lists Zvinčuk among those involved in malicious influence operations.
- Rybar, a Telegram channel founded by Zvinchuk, has over 1.5 million subscribers.
- Moscow's Foreign Ministry is trying to clarify circumstances regarding the Russian embassy in Podgorica.
- Zvinchuk left Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 7 via the Zupci border crossing to Montenegro.
- Mihail Zvinchuk is under British sanctions and was sanctioned by the European Union in 2023.
- The detained Russians were found to have drones, phones, and complex digital equipment during the search.
- Zvinchuk stated his team in the Balkans is filming a documentary series about Russia and Balkan peoples and plans to hire lawyers in Serbia.
- U.K. and U.S. authorities link Rybar's activities to Russian propaganda and influence operations.
- Montenegro is preparing to join the EU in the near future.
Outlets: Balkan Insight (BIRN), Danas, Der Tagesspiegel, Detector Media, Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, Meduza (English), N1 BiH, N1 Hrvatska, N1 Srbija, Novaya Gazeta Europe, ORF News (Austria), TV Rain, The Guardian, The Moscow Times - Independent News From Russia, Ukrainska Pravda (English), Verstka, Vijesti, Zerkalo
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