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Czech Journalists Expose Russian Channel Rybar Running Covert EU Intel Operations
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Journalists from Czechia uncovered a European operation managed by the sanctioned Russian propaganda project Rybar, investigative outlet Seznam Zprávy reported on September 21.
They exposed Russian media operatives who traveled through the Schengen Zone to gather material for Kremlin disinformation campaigns.
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The investigation revealed that Rybar—an organization whose head, Mikhail Zvinchuk, has been sanctioned by the EU since 2023 for coordinating mobilization efforts supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine—has been deploying crews residing long-term in the EU to film across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, and France.
Under the guise of preparing an objective documentary series on European socio-economic trends, Moscow-based producer Boris Dvorkin contacted European commentators, public figures, and experts to arrange interviews.
Leaked Russian databases analyzed by Seznam Zprávy linked Dvorkin’s historical exhibition projects to funding from the Fatherland History Foundation, an entity created by presidential decree and headed by Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
In Prague, Seznam Zprávy set up a sting operation by orchestrating an interview with Bohumil Kartous, a spokesperson for the anti-disinformation group Czech Elves. The filming crew was identified as Vitaliy Chashchukhin, a prominent correspondent for sanctioned Russian state channels Izvestia and Ren TV, and cameraman Igor Dolmatov.
They arrived in Prague from Berlin and, before realizing he was being recorded on a hidden camera, Chashchukhin explicitly confirmed that he was working on a project for Rybar.
When Seznam Zprávy reporters revealed their identities and questioned the team regarding potential sanctions violations, both operatives fled the scene without answering questions.
Under Czech law, providing services or economic resources to an EU-sanctioned individual or entity constitutes a criminal offense carrying a maximum penalty of up to eight years in prison, Seznam Zprávy reported, citing sanctions experts and the Czech Financial Analytical Office (FAÚ).
Subsequent findings confirmed that the crew had successfully interviewed several Czech public figures under false pretenses, including security consultant Andor Šándor and energy analyst Vladimír Štěpán, who were told the crew represented an independent European media outlet.
The intelligence-led influence operations across the Schengen Zone extend beyond covert filming, as at least one in six Russian diplomats accredited in Austria has direct or probable ties to Moscow’s security services, a recent investigation revealed.
Analysis of diplomatic rosters and public registries identified 21 out of 117 Russian diplomatic staff across embassy and international posts in Vienna—including the OSCE, IAEA, and UN bodies—with connections to Russia’s foreign military intelligence agency (GRU), SVR, or Federal Security Service (FSB).
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