In the UK, sentences were handed down to the Bulgarian spy network that worked in the russia

A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced six Bulgarian citizens who acted as spies for Russia to a total of more than 50 years in prison. They were found guilty of attempted kidnapping, spying on political opponents of the Kremlin and destabilizing the security of Western countries.

The convicts were part of a so-called “outsourcing” spy network set up for Russian intelligence services after the expulsion of a significant number of diplomatic spies from the West. They carried out tasks to monitor Ukrainian servicemen in Germany, opposition figure Khristo Grozev, Russian journalist Roman Dobrokhotov, Kazakh politician Bergei Ryskaliyev and others.

Kidnappings and fake protests were also planned to mislead foreign governments. The espionage organization was led by Jana Marschalek, an Austrian businessman who is wanted and has ties to the GRU and FSB. The group’s leader, Orlin Rusev, received the most severe sentence – 10 years and 8 months in prison. Other members of the group also received long terms, including for their role as “honey traps”.

• Russia, faced with the restriction of its intelligence network in Europe after the invasion of Ukraine, is actively using citizens of other countries as spies. Britain has stepped up its countermeasures against such threats, classifying them as “new-type state threats” that require a multi-level response.

The UK’s security minister called the sentences a clear signal to anyone who tries to threaten the state or society. The authorities assure that they will use the entire arsenal of available means to detect, neutralize and deter espionage operations by enemy states.