Three Bulgarians found guilty of spying for Russia in Britain

The trio on Friday were convicted of conspiracy to spy, following a trial at London’s Central Criminal Court. Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev formed half of a Russian ring that conducted espionage in the United Kingdom and Europe for more than three years, Crown Prosecution Services announced. Three other Bulgarian nationals, including the group’s leader, have already pleaded guilty to spying offenses. They each face up to 14 years in prison.

The spy ring targeted journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, known for uncovering Russia's role in two nerve agent attacks, including one on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020. Navalny survived that attack but died a year ago while locked up in prison. They sent Russia reports on the journalists’ movements and even discussed kidnapping Dobrokhotov. The group’s operations also included surveillance of a U.S. military base in Stuttgart, Germany where they believed Ukrainian personnel were being trained in the use of surface-to-air missiles.

How did authorities prove the trio were spies? Investigators compiled a trove of Telegram app messages directly discussing the espionage operations on behalf of Russia, as well as travel and financial records. Investigators additionally collected evidence from the spies’ confiscated equipment, which included 221 cellphones and 11 drones. Police also found the group had an extensive collection of covert recording devices, concealed in fake water bottles, rocks, children’s toys, lighters, and car keys. The spies also had several pairs of glasses capable of recording audio and video.