Two Bulgarians detained in London have confessed to being Russian spies, as part of an ongoing trial involving three other Bulgarian nationals. The court proceedings began with 33-year-old Katrin Ivanova, 30-year-old Vanya Gaberova, and 39-year-old Tihomir Ivanchev pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy to spy. They are accused of working alongside a Russian agent known as Richard Ticz, along with other individuals involved in the espionage activities. Ivanova also denied accusations of possessing false identity documents.

At the opening of the court hearing, prosecutor Alison Morgan revealed that two other suspects, Orlin Rusev and Biser Dzhambazov, had already admitted their involvement in the spy network. According to Morgan, the group had been active between 2020 and 2023, spying for Russia with a clear understanding of the objectives of their operations. The defendants were alleged to have conducted surveillance, used fake identities, employed advanced technological tools, and provided detailed reports, all in exchange for large sums of money.

Background:

The trial comes at a particularly sensitive time in British-Russian relations, which are at a historic low following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Tensions have escalated, with the UK accusing Russian intelligence services of attempting to destabilize the country. Just days before the court proceedings, Russia expelled a British diplomat on charges of espionage, and the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency had previously alleged that Russian operatives were seeking to "cause chaos."