Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia acted against a Bellingcat investigative journalist

The group of Bulgarians accused of espionage in favour of Russia acted against a journalist from the media "Bellingcat" and tried to use sexual bait against him through Facebook, the British prosecutor's office said in court today.

Thirty-three-year-old Katrin Ivanova, 30-year-old Vanya Gaberova and 39-year-old Tihomir Ivanchev are accused of being part of a spy ring allegedly directed by Russian agent Jan Marsalek that acted against various people, including dissidents. Prosecutors say Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev, along with two men, Orlin Roussev and Biser Dzhambazov, allegedly spied on a U.S. military base in Germany where Ukrainian forces were being trained. Roussev and Dzhambazov have admitted they were part of a spy network, while Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev deny the charges.

At a court hearing in a London court, prosecutor Alison Morgan said the group of Bulgarians had been monitoring Bulgarian journalist Hristo Grozev, who works for Bellingcat, in 2021. Grozev was Bellingcat's lead investigative journalist in the 2018 poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England

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Morgan said Gaberova sent Grozev a Facebook friend request as part of an attempt to gather information about him. Those actions were orchestrated by Marsalek and Roussev.

"Grozev seems to be seduced and in love with Vanya. He started liking her photos. We can move on to romance," Roussev said in a message he sent to Marsalek shortly after Grozev accepted the friendship invitation.

Marsalek expressed his concerns about the possibility that Gaberova would fall in love with Grozev, but Roussev reassured him that she had the qualities necessary for the task at hand. The prosecutor also said that Ivanova, Gaberova and Dzhambazov tracked Grozev to a hotel in Valencia, with Gaberova photographing him with Bellingcat founder Elliot Higgins. At the start of the trial last week, Morgan said the group was paid to spy and compile detailed reports.

They were acting under the direction of Roussev who himself was receiving instructions from Marsalek.

Ivanova, Gaberova, and Ivanchev deny a charge of conspiracy to gather information useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February 2023. Ivanova also denies possessing false identity documents. Their trial is expected to last until February.

The case against the Bulgarians is expected to continue until February.

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