Photo: AP
Russian agents are again in the crosshairs of British intelligence services
According to The Guardian, a second network of Russian spies has been exposed in the UK, targeting Russian dissidents and investigative journalists.
The revelation comes after six Bulgarian citizens were convicted of spying for the Kremlin. Police warn that Russia is continuing operations to persecute opponents of the regime, and the danger to opposition journalists and political refugees in Britain is growing.
Journalist Roman Dobrokhotov is under threat again
One of the targets of surveillance was the well-known investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov, who was warned by the British police in the spring of 2023 about attempts to spy on him and his family.
“I received a warning from the police last spring. These attempts continue,” said Dobrokhotov, 41, who fled Russia in 2021 and moved to the UK in early 2023.
The details of the new threats are classified, but it is known that the police are taking the possibility of repeated attempts at attack seriously.
Bulgarian Kremlin agents and a “curator” in Moscow
Earlier, the UK detained and convicted six Bulgarian citizens who conducted espionage operations in the country. Among them:
– Vanya Gaberova, 30 years old
– Katrin Ivanova, 33 years old
– Tikhomir Ivanchev, 39
– Orlin Rusev, 47 years old
– Biser Dzhambazov, 43 years old
– Ivan Stoyanov, 34 years old
According to British intelligence, the operation was supervised by 44-year-old Jan Marsalek, an Austrian citizen who, despite being on the international wanted list for financial fraud involving £1.6bn in Wirecard, continued to run the operation from Moscow.
Among the main targets of the spies were investigative journalists Khristo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov. They exposed the GRU agents who tried to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in 2018.
Did the spy network plan the assassinations?
The investigation revealed that Russian agents were conducting detailed surveillance of Dobrokhotov. One of the spies even sat next to him on a plane and memorised his iPhone PIN.
In the agents’ correspondence, they discussed possible methods of eliminating the journalist, among other things:
– Murder in the street with ricin
– Kidnapping and smuggling by boat
– Novichok poisoning through a door handle
Dobrokhotov: we were expecting new attacks
The journalist said that after the arrest of the Bulgarian spies, he expected the FSB to hand over the task of eliminating him to the GRU military intelligence.
“We did not stop our work, so we knew that the surveillance would continue. Our sources in Russia said that after the arrest of this group, their functions were transferred to the GRU,” Dobrokhotov said.
He also acknowledged that he was forced to constantly change his place of residence and stay on the move.
“My family is naturally worried. They understand that even a small touch of poison can endanger us all. The worst thing is the uncertainty, when you don’t know whether you should be afraid right now or if it’s just paranoia,” the journalist added.
British authorities step up fight against foreign spies
A representative of the British police said that anti-terrorist units are stepping up their efforts to identify and neutralise foreign agent activity.
“We will continue to identify any repressive activity by foreign powers in the UK and seek to stop it,” the statement said.
The police call on citizens to report suspicious cases of interference by foreign intelligence agencies and to support victims of persecution.
The situation around Russian spies in Britain is escalating, and new arrests may take place in the near future.
