MONTENEGRO EXPELS ZVINCHUK, WIFE AND THREE ASSOCIATES

PODGORICA, OCTOBER 9 /SRNA/ - Five Russian nationals were expelled from Montenegro today on national and internal security grounds, the Montenegrin Police Directorate said.

Following criminal, operational and intelligence checks, authorities determined that Russian nationals Mikhail Zvinchuk /a military blogger and founder of the Rybar Telegram channel/, his wife Valeria and three of their associates could not continue their stay in Montenegro.

Montenegrin police said they had carried out an operation together with the National Security Agency and with support from international partners aimed at preventing, detecting and neutralizing illegal activities on Montenegrin territory.

"The operation identified and processed five citizens of the Russian Federation - M.Z. /36/, S.B. /36/, K.D. /21/, V.Z. /36/ and P.L. /46/, who entered Montenegro less than two days ago and had been staying in the country," the police statement said.

The Russians had been staying at a hotel in Risan, in the municipality of Kotor, after which they were taken to police premises for further official procedures.

"During the criminal investigation, sophisticated digital equipment and devices were found and seized from the Russian nationals, including high-resolution equipment, a drone, a camera, a GoPro camera and several mobile phones," police added.

Police said the seized equipment would undergo appropriate forensic examination and analysis to determine its intended purpose and how it was being used in Montenegro.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić described Zvinchuk's detention as a "successful operation" by the country's security services.

The Rybar channel had earlier confirmed reports that the head of the project and other Russian nationals accompanying him had been detained.

"All of them were in the country legally and officially. They planned to film the Cetinje Monastery, for which an official request had previously been submitted," Rybar said earlier.