Six-Member Russian Spy Ring Convicted in UK for 'Industrial Scale' Espionage Operations

A sophisticated Russian spy network operating across the United Kingdom has been convicted of conducting espionage operations on an 'industrial scale,' marking one of the largest such cases in British counter-terrorism history [2].

Three Bulgarian nationals - Katrin Ivanova (33), Vanya Gaberova (30), and Tihomir Ivanchev (39) - were found guilty at the Old Bailey on March 7, 2025, of conspiracy to conduct espionage for Russia. Three other members, including ringleader Orlin Roussev, had previously admitted to the charges [1][2].

The group, nicknamed 'The Minions,' operated under the direction of Jan Marsalek, a 44-year-old Austrian businessman wanted by Interpol. Marsalek served as an intermediary between Russian intelligence services and the UK-based operation, which received over €200,000 in funding [3].

Operating from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, the group employed sophisticated surveillance equipment, including cameras hidden in everyday objects like Coca-Cola bottles, stuffed toys, and rocks. Police recovered an extensive arsenal of spy gear, including 221 mobile phones, 258 hard drives, and various surveillance devices [1].

The ring targeted multiple high-profile individuals, including Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist who had exposed Russian involvement in the Salisbury Novichok poisonings. Their operations spanned across the UK, Austria, Spain, Germany, and Montenegro [2].

Metropolitan Police Counter-terrorism Commander Dominic Murphy described the case as 'one of the largest and most complex examples of a group working for a foreign state to conduct intelligence surveillance operations here in the UK' [3].

The defendants face sentences of up to 14 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled between May 7 and May 12, 2025 [2].