Three Bulgarians living in London have been found guilty of spying for Russia in one of the biggest spy operations ever discovered in the UK.
Katrin Ivanova (33), Vanya Gaberova (30), and Tihomir Ivanchev (39) worked as part of a spy group from 2020 to 2023. They watched people and places that Russia wanted information about, including journalists and a US military base in Germany. They traveled across Europe but kept their main base in Britain.
The head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police said they used spy equipment that seemed like something from a fiction book. Police found thousands of messages between the spy group leaders that showed their plans. These included plots to kidnap and kill some targets or trap them using romantic relationships.
The three were convicted of conspiracy to spy. Ivanova was also convicted of having fake IDs. Two other Bulgarians, Orlin Roussev (47) from Great Yarmouth and Biser Dzhambazov (43) from London, had already admitted to spying. A sixth person, Ivan Stoyanov (34), also admitted guilt before the trial.
The spies mainly targeted journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, who had exposed Russia's involvement in poison attacks. These attacks included those on Alexei Navalny in 2020 and Sergei Skripal in Salisbury back in 2018.
The prosecutor described the spy group as sophisticated in its operations. It watched individuals and places, created fake identities, and used advanced technology to gather information. Roussev ran its spy operation from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Police found many spy gadgets there, including cameras hidden in ties and fake rocks, plus glasses with recording equipment built in.
The investigation collected 221 mobile phones, 495 sim cards, 11 drones, and devices for stealing data from phones and listening to wifi networks. The police commander said this operation was extremely sophisticated and threatened national security and people's safety.
The spy group worked under Roussev, who got orders from Jan Marsalek. Marsalek is an Austrian wanted in Germany for fraud connected to Wirecard. Prosecutors called him a middleman for Russian intelligence. Roussev and Marsalek met ten years ago, and Roussev later became a spy who recruited other Bulgarians.
All the spies had regular jobs as cover. Gaberova worked as a beautician, Ivanchev as a painter and decorator, and Roussev once served as chief technology officer at a London financial company. Stoyanov worked delivering medical supplies but also competed in mixed martial arts under the nickname "The Destroyer."
Dzhambazov and Ivanova lived together as partners and worked in healthcare. They also ran a Bulgarian community group teaching "British values." However, Dzhambazov was also seeing Gaberova – police found them in bed together during arrests. Ivanchev had previously dated Gaberova as well.
During their trial, Ivanova and Gaberova admitted doing surveillance but denied knowing it was for Russia. Ivanchev didn't testify but took a similar position when questioned by police. He was arrested a year after the others and said he had talked with MI5 several times.
The case focused on six operations by the spies. The first targeted journalist was Christo Grozev. Marsalek and Roussev discussed plans, including sitting next to him on planes. They followed him across Europe and watched his properties in Austria and Bulgaria. They talked about stealing his laptop and phone, burning his property, kidnapping him, or even killing him.
The second operation targeted journalist Roman Dobrokhotov. They followed him to different countries and discussed kidnapping him in the UK and smuggling him out by boat. At one point, Ivanova sat close enough to him on a plane to see his phone PIN.
The third operation targeted Bergey Ryskaliyev, a former Kazakhstan politician who had received asylum in the UK. Prosecutors explained that Russia wants good relations with Kazakhstan, and helping track political dissidents builds those connections.
Their fourth plan involved staging a fake protest at the Kazakhstan embassy in London in September 2022. The idea was to pretend they had real intelligence about those responsible and then pass this on to Kazakhstan intelligence to gain favor for Russia.
The fifth operation involved watching Patch Barracks, a US military base in Stuttgart, in late 2022. Prosecutors said the defendants believed Ukrainian forces were training there to use anti-aircraft weapons during Russia's invasion. They planned to use sophisticated technology to gather intelligence about the base.
The final operation targeted Kirill Kachur, a Russian who lived in Montenegro. He had worked for Russia's Investigative Committee but left Russia in 2021. Russia later designated him as a "foreign agent" in November 2023.
Katrin Ivanova (33), Vanya Gaberova (30), and Tihomir Ivanchev (39) worked as part of a spy group from 2020 to 2023. They watched people and places that Russia wanted information about, including journalists and a US military base in Germany. They traveled across Europe but kept their main base in Britain.
The head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police said they used spy equipment that seemed like something from a fiction book. Police found thousands of messages between the spy group leaders that showed their plans. These included plots to kidnap and kill some targets or trap them using romantic relationships.
The three were convicted of conspiracy to spy. Ivanova was also convicted of having fake IDs. Two other Bulgarians, Orlin Roussev (47) from Great Yarmouth and Biser Dzhambazov (43) from London, had already admitted to spying. A sixth person, Ivan Stoyanov (34), also admitted guilt before the trial.
The spies mainly targeted journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, who had exposed Russia's involvement in poison attacks. These attacks included those on Alexei Navalny in 2020 and Sergei Skripal in Salisbury back in 2018.
The prosecutor described the spy group as sophisticated in its operations. It watched individuals and places, created fake identities, and used advanced technology to gather information. Roussev ran its spy operation from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Police found many spy gadgets there, including cameras hidden in ties and fake rocks, plus glasses with recording equipment built in.
The investigation collected 221 mobile phones, 495 sim cards, 11 drones, and devices for stealing data from phones and listening to wifi networks. The police commander said this operation was extremely sophisticated and threatened national security and people's safety.
The spy group worked under Roussev, who got orders from Jan Marsalek. Marsalek is an Austrian wanted in Germany for fraud connected to Wirecard. Prosecutors called him a middleman for Russian intelligence. Roussev and Marsalek met ten years ago, and Roussev later became a spy who recruited other Bulgarians.
All the spies had regular jobs as cover. Gaberova worked as a beautician, Ivanchev as a painter and decorator, and Roussev once served as chief technology officer at a London financial company. Stoyanov worked delivering medical supplies but also competed in mixed martial arts under the nickname "The Destroyer."
Dzhambazov and Ivanova lived together as partners and worked in healthcare. They also ran a Bulgarian community group teaching "British values." However, Dzhambazov was also seeing Gaberova – police found them in bed together during arrests. Ivanchev had previously dated Gaberova as well.
During their trial, Ivanova and Gaberova admitted doing surveillance but denied knowing it was for Russia. Ivanchev didn't testify but took a similar position when questioned by police. He was arrested a year after the others and said he had talked with MI5 several times.
The case focused on six operations by the spies. The first targeted journalist was Christo Grozev. Marsalek and Roussev discussed plans, including sitting next to him on planes. They followed him across Europe and watched his properties in Austria and Bulgaria. They talked about stealing his laptop and phone, burning his property, kidnapping him, or even killing him.
The second operation targeted journalist Roman Dobrokhotov. They followed him to different countries and discussed kidnapping him in the UK and smuggling him out by boat. At one point, Ivanova sat close enough to him on a plane to see his phone PIN.
The third operation targeted Bergey Ryskaliyev, a former Kazakhstan politician who had received asylum in the UK. Prosecutors explained that Russia wants good relations with Kazakhstan, and helping track political dissidents builds those connections.
Their fourth plan involved staging a fake protest at the Kazakhstan embassy in London in September 2022. The idea was to pretend they had real intelligence about those responsible and then pass this on to Kazakhstan intelligence to gain favor for Russia.
The fifth operation involved watching Patch Barracks, a US military base in Stuttgart, in late 2022. Prosecutors said the defendants believed Ukrainian forces were training there to use anti-aircraft weapons during Russia's invasion. They planned to use sophisticated technology to gather intelligence about the base.
The final operation targeted Kirill Kachur, a Russian who lived in Montenegro. He had worked for Russia's Investigative Committee but left Russia in 2021. Russia later designated him as a "foreign agent" in November 2023.
