Russian pro-war blogger among five arrested in Montenegro

An influential Russian war blogger and former military officer was arrested on Friday in Montenegro on suspicion of trying to destabilise the country, officials said.

Mikhail Zvinchuk, who previously served in the Russian Defence Ministry’s press office, founded Rybar, a Telegram channel with more than 1.5 million followers. He has strongly supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Zvinchuk was detained on Friday in a “successful operation,” said Milojko Spajic, the prime minister of Montenegro, a Balkan country that was a Moscow ally but is now a NATO member seeking European Union membership.

Spajic said in a statement that “our institutions are doing their job, Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will jeopardise our European future.”

“We have warned that attempts to undermine and destabilise Montenegro through hybrid activities have relentlessly accompanied our European path,” he added.

Media reports said that Zvinchuk was detained in the coastal town of Risan along with his wife and three others.

A statement on Rybar said the group had planned to film a monastery after properly notifying the authorities.