Russian Spy Ring in UK Used Foreign Operatives for Sophisticated Espionage

Trial reveals Bulgarian defendants were part of a Moscow-directed network targeting journalists, dissidents, and military sites in Europe.

Five Bulgarian nationals, including two who pleaded guilty, are accused of conducting espionage for Russian intelligence between 2020 and 2023.
The network, allegedly led by Orlin Roussev and directed by fugitive Austrian businessman Jan Marsalek, used advanced surveillance tools and fake IDs to gather intelligence.
Targets included investigative journalists, Russian dissidents, and a US airbase in Germany believed to be training Ukrainian troops.
Prosecutors claim Russia increasingly relies on non-Russian operatives for covert operations in the UK due to heightened restrictions following the 2018 Skripal poisoning.
The trial highlights the UK's national security concerns, with officials describing Russia as the most pressing threat to European stability.