Russian propagandist Zvinchuk boasted day before about how he "fooled dumbf#ck border guard" and entered Montenegro. VIDEO
Russian propagandist Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Telegram channel "Rybar," who was detained in Montenegro, had mocked the country and EU sanctions against Russia the day before. On social media, he boasted that he had crossed the border despite an entry ban because he had "run into a dumbf#ck border guard."
Journalist Denys Kazanskyi drew attention to this, Censor.NET reports.
The propagandist’s statements
The day before, Zvinchuk posted a video on social media with the sea in the background. He sarcastically greeted "country No. 26" and offered some "advice": "Even if you are under sanctions and banned from entering, and the country you are traveling to has committed to enforcing the ban, there is a way out — you need to 'run into a dumbf#ck border guard' who turned out all your pockets but forgot to check the database."
Journalist Kazanskyi called what happened next "an incredible story." According to him, Zvinchuk traveled to Montenegro to film an episode of a program for Russian propagandist Solovyov, and was detained there.
Text description of the video
In the approximately 37-second clip, Mikhail Zvinchuk films an episode of "Rybar's Analyses. Daily Summary for October 8." A banner bearing the "Rybar's Analyses" logo and the words "Daily Summary for October 8" remains visible at the bottom of the frame throughout. Initially, he stands on a stone waterfront with moored boats, a yellow kayak, and a white motorboat. A stone building with a red roof, a cruise ship, yachts, and cloud-covered mountains overlooking the bay are visible in the background. He is wearing a black hooded leather jacket and blue jeans, mostly keeping his hands in his pockets. He first looks down, then speaks to the camera, briefly turns sideways toward the water, and looks into the lens again. In the final segment, the location changes: behind him are a marina with numerous yachts and boats, rocky slopes with autumn vegetation, and old stone buildings along the shore. Here, Zvinchuk gestures more actively: he points to the side, raises his index finger and speaks to the camera again.
US reward and coordinates for missile strikes
Kazanskyi recalls that the US is offering up to $10 million for information about "Rybar" employees under the Rewards for Justice program.
He also alleges that Zvinchuk's Telegram channel repeatedly published coordinates of facilities in Kyiv and called for "several missiles to be promptly sent there." He cites a post about the "Kyiv Armored Plant" as an example. According to him, people were killed in the capital following such posts.
Detention of Russians
- Earlier reports said that Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Russian Z-channel "Rybar," had been detained in Montenegro.
- Mikhail Zvinchuk has been under European Union sanctions since June 2023. According to the Council of the EU, he spread disinformation and participated in a working group established by Putin to coordinate activities related to the war against Ukraine.
What is known about the "Rybar" network
- The "Rybar" platform became known for its military analysis and Telegram channels. Western institutions link its activities to the spread of pro-Russian narratives and disinformation.
- UK authorities said the network was an element of Russian information operations and that its employees cooperated with representatives of Russian intelligence.
- In 2024, the US Department of State announced a reward of up to $10 million for information that would help locate people in the "Rybar" network linked to interference in US elections.
