Russian blogger detained in Montenegro had discussed media school with authorities in BiH's Republika Srpska entity

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic confirmed Zvinchuk’s detention, linking the operation to earlier warnings about attempts to destabilise the country through hybrid activities. Reuters reported that his wife and three other Russian nationals were also detained.

Rybar said the group had entered Montenegro legally and planned to film a monastery. It denied violating local laws.

From military service to media influence

Zvinchuk is a former captain and military translator who worked in the Russian military’s press service. He launched Rybar with programmer Denis Shchukin in 2018. The channel became known for military reporting, battlefield maps and analysis from a pro-Russian perspective.

In an interview published by The Washington Post on November 4, 2024, Zvinchuk claimed Rybar had an affiliated network of more than 250 channels operating in 28 languages. He denied interfering in US elections and described his organisation as defending Russia’s information borders.

The US State Department, however, links Rybar to influence operations targeting the American electoral process. Its Rewards for Justice programme offers up to $10 million for relevant information.

The department says Rybar receives funding for contracted work from Russian state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec. Mikhail and Valeriya Zvinchuk are among the individuals identified as working for the network.

Contacts in Republika Srpska

Bosnian investigative outlet Detektor reported in November 2024 that Zvinchuk had discussed cooperation during a June visit to Banja Luka with Drazen Visnjic, then director of Republika Srpska’s Agency for Information and Communication Technologies.

The agency confirmed it was preparing an agreement with Rybar that included plans for a school covering digital journalism, multimedia production, social media, media ethics and data analysis.

Then-EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano told Detektor that cooperation between Zvinchuk, his associates and Republika Srpska authorities would breach EU sanctions with which Bosnia had committed to align.

Plans and implementation

Detektor reported in February 2026 that the school had not, at least officially, materialised.

Rybar nevertheless continued covering Bosnia. Its channels criticised prosecutors’ actions against Milorad Dodik, Radovan Viskovic and Nenad Stevandic in March 2025, portraying them as driving regional escalation.