Bulgarians accused of being Russian spies appear in UK court

Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova had already been charged with identity document offences and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday over those allegations. Britain has been seeking to take tougher action on external security threats and potential spies, and in July passed a national security law, aiming at overhauling its means of deterring espionage and foreign interference with new tools and criminal provisions.

Five Bulgarian nationals appeared by videolink in a London court on Tuesday accused of spying for Russia. The three men and two women are accused of conspiring "to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state" between Aug. 30, 2020 and Feb. 8, 2023.

Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, all Bulgarian nationals who lived in London and Norfolk, were arrested in February this year. Prosecutor Kathryn Selby told Westminster Magistrates Court the suspects were accused of being part of an organised network which had carried out surveillance and hostile action on behalf of Russia against specific targets.

There were no applications for bail and they were remanded in custody to appear at London's Old Bailey court on Oct. 13. Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova had already been charged with identity document offences and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday over those allegations.

Britain has been seeking to take tougher action on external security threats and potential spies, and in July passed a national security law, aiming at overhauling its means of deterring espionage and foreign interference with new tools and criminal provisions. At the time, the government labelled Russia as "the most acute threat" to its security.

There has been no response from the Russian embassy in London to the news of the accusations. Last November, Britain's domestic spy chief said more than 400 suspected Russian spies had been expelled from Europe, striking the "most significant strategic blow" against Moscow in recent history.

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