{
  "id": 13101587,
  "title": "Montenegro detains founder of Rybar, one of Russia’s most popular pro-war Telegram channels. Here’s what we know.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/montenegro-detains-founder-of-rybar-one-of-russias-most-popular-pro",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T10:59:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/09/montenegro-detains-founder-of-rybar-one-of-russia-s-most-popular-pro-war-telegram-channels-here-s-what-we-know"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Montenegrin authorities arrested the creator of Rybar, a prominent Russian pro-war Telegram channel, on October 9. Mikhail Zvinchuk, along with his wife and three other staff members, were detained in the coastal town of Risan. The Montenegrin security services had been tracking Zvinchuk and his team for several days prior to the raid. Law enforcement sources revealed that they discovered advanced digital equipment, drones, and electronic devices on the detainees. The operation aimed to curb the \"hybrid activity\" of the Rybar network. Zvinchuk's detention has not resulted in any formal charges yet, and the Montenegrin government has not commented publicly on the matter. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić affirmed that the government remains committed to ensuring the operation's success, stating that Montenegro is safeguarding its interests and upholding its European aspirations. Rybar has over 1.5 million subscribers on Telegram and is recognized as one of the most popular pro-war channels in Russia. The channel's founder, Zvinchuk, formerly worked as a press officer for Russia’s Defense Ministry. The group, described as a \"military-analytical center,\" operates multiple channels focused on specific regions. In 2024, the U.S. State Department offered a $10 million reward for information on Rybar's staff, alleging that the channel attempted to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Czech authorities recently detained two Russian nationals, Vitaly Chashchukhin and Igor Dolmatov, for allegedly working for Rybar in Europe while claiming to represent the Russian newspaper Izvestia, which has faced EU sanctions since 2024. Despite the ongoing investigation, Montenegro is set to join the EU in 2028, and has recently adopted a visa regime for Russian citizens to align with EU standards.",
  "summary": "Montenegrin authorities detained the creator of the Telegram channel Rybar. Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife, and three other Rybar staffers were detained in the town of Risan on the morning of October 9. According to reporting by the local outlet Vijesti, they found “sophisticated digital equipment,” drones, and “electronic devices” on them. Montenegrin security services had been monitoring Zvinchuk…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Montenegro detains Russian pro-war blogger behind Rybar, a Telegram channel with 1.5 million subscribers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/montenegro-detains-russian-pro-war-blogger-behind-rybar-a-telegram",
        "published": "2026-10-09T09:17:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Moscow Times",
        "title": "Montenegro Arrests Founder of Influential Russian Pro-War Blog Rybar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/montenegro-arrests-founder-of-influential-russian-pro-war-blog-rybar",
        "published": "2026-10-09T10:05:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Founder of Rybar, Russian war propaganda channel, detained in Montenegro",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/founder-of-rybar-russian-war-propaganda-channel-detained-in-montenegro",
        "published": "2026-10-09T10:47:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Russian pro-war blogger among 5 arrested in Montenegro over alleged destabilization plot",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/russian-pro-war-blogger-among-5-arrested-in-montenegro-over-alleged",
        "published": "2026-10-09T11:31:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}