Bulgaria Bans Two Russians Over Espionage Suspicions

The individuals are accused of attempting to infiltrate foreign countries using false identities.

Bulgarian authorities have banned two Russian citizens, identified as Vladimir Nikolayevich Gorochkin and Tatiana Anatolievna Gorochkina, from entering the European Union for five years on espionage suspicions.
The individuals, previously living in Bulgaria under the aliases Denis Rashkov and Diana Rashkova, are accused of being part of a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service operation aimed at infiltrating foreign countries using false identities.
The couple had undergone significant visual alterations and were working to obtain authentic Bulgarian IDs to facilitate clandestine operations outside Bulgaria.
In 2022, Bulgaria expelled 70 Russian diplomatic staff, marking a significant strain in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Bulgaria has strongly supported the West's sanctions against Moscow following Russia's war on Ukraine.