NEW: Montenegro detained Rybar founder Mikhail Zvinchuk and four associates in a dawn raid on the Bay of Kotor.

Police and the national security agency (ANB) picked up the pro-Russian military blogger, his wife/creative director Valeria, and three staff at the Mövenpick Hotel in Risan this morning, seizing drones, digital equipment, and documents.

Authorities say they’d been watching the group for days.

The stated concern is that Zvinchuk’s planned documentary on Montenegro’s new visa rules for Russians would frame EU integration as damaging the economy.

Rybar (~1.5M subscribers) says the team was in the country legally and expects release.

Russia’s foreign ministry says its embassy is looking into it.

Zvinchuk — a former Russian MoD press officer — is under both UK and EU sanctions, and the US has a $10M Rewards for Justice bounty tied to alleged election interference by Rybar staff.