Montenegro's Prime Minister Vowed To Uphold The Course Toward European Integration Following The Arrest Of The Founder Of "Rybary"
- 9.10.2026, 13:35
The politician revealed the message behind the successful operation.
The arrest of of the founder of the Russian pro-war media project “Rybary” Mikhail Zvinchuk was motivated by the protection of Montenegro’s national interests, stated its Prime Minister Miloiko Spajić. According to him, the country constantly faces “attempts at hybrid influence and destabilization” on its path to European integration. “The message of today’s successful operation, during which the head of the ‘Ribar’ intelligence network was detained, is clear: state institutions are doing their job, Montenegro is protecting its interests, and no one will be able to jeopardize our European future,” Spajić noted.
The prime minister stated that there were “serious grounds” for Zvinchuk’s arrest, “requiring a thorough examination of every lead and an assessment of each link in a broader context.” “We will not disclose information that should remain within the purview of the intelligence services,” Spajić said, adding that “now is not the time for hasty statements, but we should not draw naive conclusions either.” Zvinchuk and his team of four, including his wife, were detained on the morning of October 9 in Risan. Local media sources within law enforcement reported that the operation was carried out by the police and the National Security Agency (ANB) with the aim of curbing the hybrid activities of the “Rybary” network.
According to posts on the project’s Telegram channel, those detained were filming a documentary about Montenegro’s European integration for propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. According to Vijesti, Montenegrin intelligence agencies had been monitoring the “Rybary” team for several days. The NSA believes that Zvinchuk’s film was intended to portray European integration as a “politically imposed solution from outside” that would deal a serious blow to Montenegro’s tourism sector, economic stability, and national interests.
Zvinchuk himself said before his detention that he was able to enter Montenegro because border guards did not check him against their databases. “You can always run into a border guard who’s a d****** who’ll turn out all your pockets but forget to check the database (as in my case),” the propagandist wrote in his Stories.
Zvinchuk is subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Australia. “The Fisherman”’s activities are linked to Russian government and intelligence agencies, the promotion of Kremlin narratives and the war in Ukraine, as well as information operations abroad. In 2024, the U.S. State Department accused the project of interfering in U.S. elections and inciting partisan and racial discord, and offered a $10 million reward for information about its employees.