Montenegro has decided to expel the founder of Rybar and his team

The authorities of Montenegro have decided to expel the founder of the Russian propaganda project "Rybar", Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife, and three other Russian citizens. The grounds were considerations of national and internal security of the country.

This was reported on October 9 by the Montenegrin outlet Vijesti, citing an official statement from the country's Police Directorate.

The expulsion decision was made after a joint operation by the police and the National Security Agency of Montenegro (ANB), carried out with the support of international partners.

In addition to Mikhail Zvinchuk, four other people received expulsion decisions: his wife Valeria Zvinchuk, Sergey Belous, Pavel Lekatorchuk, and Kira Doroshenko.

According to law enforcement, all five arrived in Montenegro less than two days earlier and stayed at a hotel in the town of Risan, located on the coast of the Bay of Kotor.

After conducting operational, investigative, and intelligence activities, police concluded that the further stay of these individuals on the territory of the state was unacceptable.

Based on Montenegro's Law on Foreigners, the Russians' right to stay in the country was annulled, and decisions on their expulsion were issued.

During the operation, law enforcement seized digital equipment from the detainees, including a drone, a high-resolution video camera, a GoPro action camera, and several mobile phones.

The seized equipment will be sent for examination. Specialists must determine for what purposes the equipment was intended and how it was planned to be used on the territory of Montenegro.

The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica and the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Kotor were notified of the results of the operation. The published statement does not mention criminal charges against the detainees.

Montenegro's police described Zvinchuk as the head of the Russian political-hybrid information network "Rybar". The agency also recalled that he is under European Union sanctions for activities threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.

EU restrictions include a ban on entry into and transit through the territory of EU member states. However, Montenegro is not an EU member, although it is negotiating accession to the bloc.

Earlier on October 9, Montenegrin security forces detained Zvinchuk and his companions in Risan. According to local media, the operation was related to suspicions of conducting Russian information activities aimed at influencing the country's internal politics.

Representatives of the "Rybar" project confirmed the detention but rejected suggestions of unlawful purposes of the trip. They claimed that the staff were in Montenegro legally and planned to film the Cetinje Monastery, for which they had sent an official request in advance.

The Russian project also stated that they are in contact with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moscow said Russian diplomats are ascertaining the circumstances of the incident.

Montenegrin authorities, for their part, said the joint operation by police and security services made it possible to prevent potentially dangerous activity on the country's territory. The specific results of the examination of the seized equipment have not yet been disclosed.

Sources: Vijesti, Antena M / Police Directorate of Montenegro.