Montenegro Expels Russian Military Blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk For Security Reasons

Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian military Telegram channel Rybar, announced on Friday that he, his wife, and his team were being flown back to Russia after being expelled from Montenegro.

Montenegrin police and the domestic intelligence agency detained Zvinchuk and his team for eight hours in the coastal town of Risan due to national security concerns, according to local media. Zvinchuk stated his team was detained around 7 AM, the day after asking official permission to film a documentary at the Serbian Orthodox Cetinje Monastery.

Instead of a response, police arrived the next morning, searched their belongings, and confiscated filming equipment without official record. Montenegrin authorities cited potentially dangerous activities for the expulsion. Modern digital equipment, drones, electronic devices, and phones were found in the possession of Zvinchuk and his associates. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the Russian nationals' release, and the Rybar channel thanked Zakharova and Russia's ambassadors for their help.

Zvinchuk and his team were issued expulsion orders and departed for Belgrade, Serbia, before returning to Russia. Montenegro, a country of fewer than 650,000 people, has sought EU membership since 2008 and joined NATO in 2017.