A group of Bulgarians who spied for Russia have been arrested in Britain

On 12 May 2025, the Old Bailey in London sentenced six Bulgarian citizens to long prison terms for spying for Russia. The group operated in the UK and various countries in Europe from 2020 to 2023, spying on journalists, political opponents and the Ukrainian military.

Key figures and sentences

- Orlin Rusev (47): leader of the group, jailed for 10 years and 8 months. His hotel in Great Yarmouth was the center of espionage activities.
- Bizer Zhambazov (44): Rusev's deputy, jailed for 10 years and 2 months.
- Katrin Ivanova (33): Zhambazov's former partner, jailed for 9 years and 8 months.
- Vanya Gaberova (30): "Honeytrap" agent, jailed for 6 years and 8 months.
- Tikhomir Ivanchev (39): Former aide to Gaberova, sentenced to 8 years.
- Ivan Stoyanov (33): Sentenced to 5 years and 3 weeks.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the group's activities posed a serious threat to the national security of the United Kingdom. It was reported that the group members had received large sums of money for their espionage activities.

Activities and plans

The group's activities were very wide-ranging, operating in the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Germany and Montenegro. They discussed plans to spy on journalists and political opponents, monitor the movements of Ukrainian soldiers, and even kidnap and kill people. The group members called themselves "Minions", referring to the "Minions" characters from the "Despicable Me" cartoon.

International relations and security

The case further increased tensions in relations between the United Kingdom and Russia. British security services have warned that such cases pose a serious threat to national security. Judge Nicholas Hilliard described the group's activities as "industrial-scale espionage".

The incident has revealed new forms of international espionage and highlighted the need for new security measures for states. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!