The head of the Russian propaganda network "Rybar" Mikhail Zvinchuk was filming a documentary in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia a few days before his detention in Montenegro.
Vijesti writes about this with reference to Zvinchukʼs publications on social networks.
According to his publications, he was in Serbia on September 27 and appeared in its capital — Belgrade — three days later. In one report dated October 3, he stated that his team in the Balkans was filming a documentary about Russia’s relations with the region.
The day before, on October 2, he landed in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In one of the videos, dated October 6, Zvinchuk commented on the results of the elections held two days earlier, emphasizing “Russia as a political engine and the people’s belief that it is the guarantor of the freedom of the Serbian people”.
What preceded
The day before, it became known that five citizens had been detained in Montenegro. It later turned out that they were the couple Mikhail and Valeria Zvinchuk — the head and creative director of the Russian propaganda network "Rybar" — and three alleged accomplices.
At the time, sources told Vijesti that Montenegrin security services knew about the arrival of the networkʼs representatives in advance and had been monitoring them for several days.
They claimed that the Zvinchuks and their accomplices had come to the country to film a documentary on harmonizing Montenegroʼs visa policy with EU standards.
This material, according to sources, was intended to present European integration as a politically imposed process that would negatively impact tourism, economic stability, and national interests of Montenegro.
Later that day, Montenegro reported that the Zvinchuks and Serhiy Bilous, Pavlo Lekatorchuk, and Kira Doroshenko were being deported from the country. The decision to expel them was made for national and internal security reasons.
During searches after their arrest, sophisticated digital equipment, a drone, a camera, a GoPro, and several phones were seized.
What is known about the “Rybar” network?
The “Rybar” platform became known for its military analytics and Telegram channels. Western institutions have linked its activities to the spread of pro-Russian narratives and disinformation. Britain has imposed sanctions on Valeria Zvinchuk, the creative director of the “Rybar” project.
Mykhailo Zvinchuk is one of the founders of the network. He has been under European Union sanctions since June 2023. According to the Council of the EU, he spread disinformation and participated in a working group created by Putin to coordinate activities related to the war against Ukraine.
In 2024, the US State Department reported a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the whereabouts of people from the “Rybar” network who are linked to interference in the US elections.
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