LONDON — Three Bulgarian nationals have been found guilty of espionage charges at London’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, after being accused of working for Russian intelligence between 2020 and 2023.
Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, were convicted of conspiring to gather information for Russia, following a trial that concluded over 10 days ago.
The trio has been remanded in pre-trial detention, with their sentences scheduled to be handed down between May 7 and 12.
The court heard that the spy ring, allegedly led by fugitive Jan Marsalek, engaged in a range of covert activities, including surveillance of key individuals and locations targeted by Russia.
Their objectives included investigative journalists such as Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, who have been prominent in exposing Russian involvement in high-profile poisonings of opposition figures, including Alexei Navalny and Sergei Skripal.
The group’s operations reportedly extended to a US military base in Germany, heightening concerns about the scope of Russian intelligence activities in Europe.
Ivanova was also convicted of possessing multiple forged identity documents, with the jury examining extensive evidence linking her, Gaberova, and Ivanchev to the conspiracy.
The defendants, however, denied all charges. Prior to the trial, two other members of the group, Orlin Rusev and Biser Dzhambazov, had pleaded guilty.
It was also revealed that the sixth defendant, Ivan Stoyanov, entered a guilty plea, a detail disclosed only after the trial concluded.
The espionage activities allegedly orchestrated by Marsalek spanned several European countries, with the UK serving as a central base of operations.
Marsalek, a former executive at the German payment processing firm Wirecard, has been a fugitive since 2020 following the collapse of the company amid a multi-billion-euro accounting scandal. Intelligence sources have linked him to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
According to the prosecution, the convicted spies were involved in elaborate plots, including staging a fake protest outside the Kazakh embassy in London and considering kidnapping and assassination missions against their targets.
Testimonies also revealed that women in the group were allegedly used as “sex traps” to infiltrate the circles of individuals under surveillance.
During the trial, prosecutors presented a series of communications, surveillance footage, and other intelligence that painted a picture of a highly organized and methodical espionage ring.
The prosecution argued that the group’s activities posed a significant threat to UK national security and the safety of individuals critical of the Russian regime.
In a statement following the verdict, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) highlighted the extensive coordination between British security services and European intelligence agencies in bringing the group to justice.
“This case underscores the persistent threat posed by Russian intelligence operations on European soil,” the spokesperson said.
Security experts have warned that the convictions may only scratch the surface of a broader network of Russian espionage activities targeting Europe. Authorities in the UK are reportedly conducting further investigations into potential accomplices and additional espionage operations linked to the network led by Marsalek.
The case has also raised questions about the effectiveness of current counter-intelligence measures across Europe, particularly in the wake of escalating tensions between Russia and the West.
As the convicted individuals await sentencing, analysts suggest that the verdict could signal a tougher stance by British authorities against espionage linked to Moscow.