Photo: AP
Today, 7 May, the high-profile trial of six Bulgarian citizens accused of spying for the Russian GRU begins at the famous Old Bailey court in London. The defendants – two women and four men – acted in the UK, Austria, Spain, Germany and Montenegro, mainly against Kremlin critics and investigative journalists. This was reported by the BBC.
The group, which one of the defendants jokingly called “minions”, is suspected of organising operations based on instructions from Jan Marsalek, a former Wirecard executive who is currently hiding in Moscow under FSB protection. The group’s leader, Orlin Rusev, who operated from the British city of Great Yarmouth, received more than €200,000 for his espionage activities.
During the investigation, the police analysed more than 100,000 messages on Telegram, found hidden cameras, microphones in toys, ties, bottles, and even a set for making fake passports.
Particular targets of surveillance were the well-known Bulgarian journalist Hristo Grozev, Russian dissident Roman Dobrokhotov (The Insider) and a former Kazakh politician who was granted asylum in the UK. The spies also tried to monitor the US base in Stuttgart, suspecting that the Ukrainian military was preparing to work with the Patriot system.
“This is spying for Russia on an industrial scale,” said Dominic Murphy, head of the British police’s anti-terrorism unit. British Security Minister Dan Jarvis warned that the case should send a “clear message” to the country’s enemies.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, this is yet another proof of the Kremlin’s large-scale intelligence aggression in Europe.
