Montenegro detains Rybar chief in suspected hybrid-operation raid

Montenegrin police detained Rybar head Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife and associate Valeria Vladimirovna Zvinchuk, and three others in the Bay of Kotor area on Friday, seizing drones and digital equipment in a joint operation with the National Security Agency over suspected hybrid activities.

Why it matters: A NATO member moving against a Russia-linked influence network on suspicion of anti-EU-influence operations raises the stakes for Montenegro's European integration path, though no formal charges or official statement have been made public yet.

Data as of Reported October 9, 2026. Core facts via Rks News citing Montenegrin outlet Vijesti and its security sources; Bloomberg carried the headline but its article was not directly accessible. Montenegrin police and the ANB have issued no public statement and no formal charges have been reported, so the hybrid-activity framing and the alleged anti-EU-influence intent are that party's uncorroborated narrative.

Montenegrin police detained Rybar head Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife and associate Valeria Vladimirovna Zvinchuk, and three other individuals in the Bay of Kotor area on Friday, seizing drones, advanced digital equipment, electronic devices and mobile phones in an operation carried out with the National Security Agency, according to Montenegrin outlet Vijesti citing security sources. The sources said the group was suspected of hybrid activities: their stated purpose was producing documentary material about Montenegro’s planned alignment of its visa policy with EU standards, but the sources alleged the planned material was intended to portray European integration as a politically imposed process with negative consequences for tourism, economic stability and national interests. Investigative procedures involving the detainees are reportedly underway, though the precise legal grounds and any evidence gathered have not been made public.

Rybar, founded in 2018 by former Russian Defense Ministry press officer Mikhail Zvinchuk, runs a Telegram channel with over 1.5 million subscribers widely cited for front-line maps of the war in Ukraine, and British and US authorities have associated the network with Kremlin propaganda and foreign influence operations.

Montenegro detains Rybar chief in suspected hybrid-operation raid

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