Russian war blogger expelled from Montenegro for 'security reasons'

BELGRADE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The founder of the ‌influential Russian war ​blog Rybar ​was arrested in Montenegro and then expelled with three other Russians on Friday for national security reasons, police and the state security agency said.

Mikhail Zvinchuk, who is also a former Russian Defence ‌Ministry official, was detained with others including his wife in the Adriatic resort of Risan ⁠on charges of spreading "Russian influence", Pobjeda newspaper reported, citing sources.

Rybar — one of the most popular blogs on Russia's war in Ukraine, with more ‌than 1.5 million subscribers — posted a ‌message saying Zvinchuk and the others had been in the country legally and were planning to film at a monastery there.

RYBAR FACED BRITISH SANCTIONS

"Since there were no violations of local legislation, we expect all detainees to be ​released," Rybar said.

The Russian embassy in Podgorica said it had demanded clarification on the reasons for the arrests.

The blog is part of a network of sites and media feeds covering a wide range of Russian activities.

Britain ⁠imposed sanctions on 10 individuals linked to Rybar in July, saying the media company was resourced by the Russian state and "responsible for spreading false narratives ​about Ukraine and interfering in  European elections, including in Moldova and Armenia".

Moscow has regularly denied accusations of misinformation and sabotage campaigns, saying the West is spreading anti-Russian propaganda.

Montenegro has long had ​fraught relations with Moscow. In 2016, authorities there accused Russia of ‌plotting with a group of Serbian ultranationalists to stage a coup, a charge the Kremlin denied.

Ties soured further when the small Adriatic republic joined NATO in 2017.

Montenegro, a candidate for ⁠membership in the European Union, enforced sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine in 2022, banned Russian state media and expelled Russian diplomats for spying. In a retaliatory move, Moscow declared it an enemy state.

Montenegro's Prime Minister, Milojko Spajic, earlier announced the arrests ⁠and said there had been warnings that the country would face attempts to destabilise it and hybrid warfare - acts that fall short ​of direct military conflict.

"The message after today's successful operation ... is clear," he said. "Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will jeopardize our European future," he added.

Montenegrin police and the ANB state security agency said four Russian nationals they identified only by initials "were ‌uncovered and processed".

"It was determined that these persons cannot continue their stay in Montenegro ... (and) it was decided to expel them from Montenegro for reasons of national and internal security ‌of the state," the statement read.

A police source confirmed the four were Zvinchuk and the other Russians.

In October 2024, the US ⁠State Department offered a reward of up ‌to $10 million for information leading to the ​identification of 19 individuals involved in managing Rybar-led social media channels, saying they had promoted Russia's political interests in the US ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by ‌Andrew Heavens)

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