LONDON — A London jury found three Bulgarian nationals guilty of espionage for Russia, following a trial that concluded on Friday. The individuals, residing in the UK, were accused of engaging in surveillance activities across Europe against opponents of the Kremlin, including diplomatic personnel, journalists, and Ukrainian military forces.
Referred to as “the Minions” by one of their leaders, the defendants Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were judged guilty in Central Criminal Court after a lengthy trial that commenced in November. After over 32 hours of deliberation, the jury determined that the trio had conspired to spy on behalf of an antagonistic foreign entity.
They now face potential prison sentences exceeding 14 years, with sentencing anticipated in May. Alongside them, three additional Bulgarian accomplices were identified in connection with the espionage group.
Throughout the proceedings, the accused maintained their innocence, denying involvement in the surveillance activities and asserting ignorance regarding the project’s true nature, claiming deception by their leaders. However, the prosecution argued that between 2020 and 2023, the trio conducted intelligence operations across various countries, including the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Germany, and Montenegro.
The prosecution contended that the spies surveilled a U.S. airbase in Germany, where Ukrainian soldiers were believed to be training, and had discussed potential abductions or eliminations of Russian state adversaries. Furthermore, they allegedly concocted a plot involving Gaberova to lure a Bulgarian journalist who exposed Russian participation in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning incident, into a romantic trap. The group tracked Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev from Vienna to a conference in Valencia, Spain, and purportedly considered options ranging from robbery to murder.
Additionally, the group allegedly plotted an unconventional protest involving the deployment of synthetic pigs’ blood at the Kazakhstan Embassy in London via drone, aiming to curry favor with particular Kazakh operatives.
At the head of the spy network were two additional Bulgarian participants: the orchestrator, Orlin Roussev, and his subordinate, Biser Dzhambazov, both of whom had pled guilty to espionage and possession of counterfeit identity documents. A sixth participant, mixed martial arts competitor Ivan Stoyanov, 33, also admitted to spying activities for Russia.
Roussev, 47, was reportedly operating under the guidance of an alleged Russian operative, Jan Marsalek, an Austrian citizen currently wanted by Interpol following the 2020 collapse of the German firm Wirecard. Marsalek’s location remains unknown.
Crucial evidence was discovered on Roussev’s phone, including encrypted communications on the messaging app Telegram. Within these, Roussev was dubbed Jackie Chan, Dzhambazov was referred to as Mad Max and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the trio was called “the Minions,” a nod to the animated film “Despicable Me.”
Authorities unearthed a collection of high-tech spyware during an operation at Roussev’s base in a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth. These included covert audio-visual devices ingeniously concealed within everyday objects such as men’s ties, a rock, a Coke bottle, and a Minions plush toy.
Dzhambazov, posing as an Interpol officer while working for a medical courier company, engaged in intimate relationships with fellow alleged spies Ivanova and Gaberova. Gaberova had left Ivanchev to pursue Dzhambazov, who lavishly spent on luxurious dining experiences and accommodation.
Upon the arrests in February 2023, authorities discovered Dzhambazov in bed with Gaberova, contradicting claims of innocence by the women, both insisting they were deceived.
Commander Dominic Murphy of London’s Metropolitan Police, specialized in counterterrorism, emphasized the severity of the espionage activities, stating, “This was industrial-scale espionage on behalf of Russia.” He stressed the significant security threat posed by the sophisticated intelligence operations targeting national safety and individuals, notably journalists.
