Trial of 3 Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia begins in London

LONDON — A court in London has heard how three Bulgarian nationals allegedly passed secrets to Russia for nearly three years after carrying out surveillance across Europe on individuals and places of interest to Moscow.

Prosecutors at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday said Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were part of a spy ring between 2020 and 2023, charges they deny.

All three live in London. It is alleged much of their activity took place across Europe, including in cities such as Vienna and Valencia, but was coordinated in the U.K.

In one incident, the defendants allegedly spied on a U.S. airbase in Germany where Ukrainian troops were said to be trained. Prosecutors also said that the defendants discussed kidnapping or killing opponents of the Russian state.

''Between 2020 and 2023 these three defendants together with a number of other people spied for the benefit of Russia," prosecution lawyer Alison Morgan said. ''Their activity caused obvious and inevitable prejudice to the safety and interests of the United Kingdom.''

Morgan said the alleged surveillance was ''sophisticated" and the defendants were paid ''significant amounts of money." Hundreds of devices are alleged to have been used to gather intelligence, including hidden bugs and jammers.

It is alleged the defendants plotted with a Russian agent, said to be Austrian national Jan Marsalek, to obtain information directly or indirectly useful to Russia. German and Austrian media have reported that Marsalek is believed to have had connections to Russian intelligence since at least 2014. He is widely believed to be in Russia.

The defendants all deny a charge of conspiracy to spy between Aug. 30, 2020 and Feb. 8 2023. Ivanova has denied a second charge of possession of false identity documents with improper intention

The trial is expected to last until February.

The alleged spy ring also included two more defendants, Orlin Roussev and Biser Dzhambazov, who have previously pleaded guilty to espionage charges, the court was told.