The U.S. is offering up to $10 million for information on the leader of the Russian "Rybary" network

The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on individuals involved in foreign interference in U.S. elections. Among those implicated in the case is Mykhailo Zvinchuk, the head of the Russian propaganda network “Rybary,” who was detained in Montenegro on October 9.

According to U.S. officials, “Rybary” disseminated pro-Kremlin narratives and used information channels to advance Russia’s political interests in the United States. In particular, the project managed the #Holdtheline and #standwithtexas channels, and ahead of the 2024 presidential election, it launched the TexasvsUSA channel on the social media platform X. According to the State Department, these resources sought to deepen social divisions and provoke political and social tensions.

A reward is offered for information that helps identify the identities or whereabouts of foreign nationals involved in such operations, as well as for information that helps prevent election interference. 

The head of “Rybary,” Mikhail Zvinchuk, was detained on the morning of October 9 in the city of Risan. The operation was carried out by the Montenegrin police and the country’s National Security Agency.

Along with Zvinchuk, his wife and colleague Valeria Zvinchuk, as well as three other Russian citizens, were detained. According to journalists, law enforcement officials seized drones, phones, and other digital equipment from the detainees. The investigation is ongoing.

According to journalists’ sources in the security sector, Montenegrin authorities had received advance information about the arrival of representatives of the network and had been monitoring their activities in the country for several days.

According to preliminary reports, the Russians planned to film a documentary about bringing Montenegro’s visa policy into line with European Union standards. The footage was allegedly intended to portray European integration as a process imposed from outside and to highlight its potential negative consequences for the country’s tourism and economy.

British authorities had previously added Zvinchuk to their sanctions list, identifying him as a co-owner and CEO of “Rybary.” According to the British side, the network receives funding from the Russian state-owned corporation “Rostec” and cooperates with representatives of Russian intelligence agencies.

The corresponding announcement was published on the official website of the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program.

Zvinchuk, a propagandist detained in Montenegro, has ties to the Kremlin: what is known about the Russian national.

As a reminder, the head of the Russian pro-war channel Rybar was detained in Montenegro.

Additionally, Medvedev called for the capture of Europeans and Americans to secure the release of the “Z-blogger” from the Rybar channel.

Montenegro’s prime minister pledged to defend European integration following the arrest of Rybár’s head.