The Russian Milblogger Arrested in Montenegro Is a Kremlin Stalking Horse
The arrest in Montenegro of Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the influential pro-Kremlin military blog channel Rybar, signals a potential turning point in the country’s confrontation with Moscow.
For years, Russia has manipulated the Balkans as a battleground for its geopolitical ambitions, fueling tensions and challenging Western influence. Recently, Montenegro has taken a stand against Moscow by arresting Mikhail Zvinchuk, the founder of the pro-Kremlin military blog Rybar. Zvinchuk was detained alongside his wife and three other Russian nationals on October 9 and subsequently expelled from Montenegro, flying back to Russia.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić confirmed Zvinchuk's detention on social media, citing warnings that Montenegro could face destabilization efforts and hybrid warfare.
Zvinchuk has been an integral part of the Russian military since the late 2010s and co-founded Rybar in 2018, initially focusing on the Middle East. However, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Rybar transformed into a major information warfare platform with over 1.5 million subscribers. Initially funded by the late Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and later by Rostec, a sanctioned Russian state defense conglomerate, Rybar has become a direct participant in the war.
The channel has published the positions of Ukrainian forces and claimed to supply target coordinates to the Russian Defense Ministry and Wagner Group.
In December 2022, Putin appointed Zvinchuk to a working group coordinating Russia's mobilization effort, leading to an EU sanction in 2023. Beyond Ukraine, Rybar promotes pro-Kremlin narratives in various regions, including Africa and the Middle East. Montenegro is not the only Balkan country facing Russian influence; in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia has exploited ethnic divisions, cultivating close ties with the pro-Putin Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik.
During a recent visit, Zvinchuk discussed launching a Rybar "media school" in Republika Srpska, a majority-Serb territory within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Zvinchuk's arrest in Montenegro signals a tougher stance against Russian influence operations in the region. However, Montenegro remains vulnerable to Russian interference, as its European ambitions are at stake and Moscow continues to seek a weak link in NATO's southeastern flank. NATO and the EU must strengthen their support to help Montenegro overcome these challenges and prevent any potential backlash from the Kremlin.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
