Two Bulgarian Women Named in UK-Based Russian Spy Ring

A BBC investigation has identified two Bulgarian women, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, as part of a Russian spy network operating from the UK. Gencheva, an airline industry worker, used her job to gather private flight details of targets, including journalists and dissidents, and was involved in surveillance activities that allowed spies to observe targets closely, even identifying a journalist's PIN code. Doncheva conducted surveillance from Vienna, including setting up a camera opposite an investigative journalist's residence, and participated in anti-Ukraine propaganda. Both women did not respond to inquiries from the BBC, and while Bulgarian security services are aware of their connections, neither has been charged with any crime. The network, overseen by Jan Marsalek, has been described as highly sophisticated, with several members already convicted for conspiracy to spy. The cell's activities included targeting individuals who investigated Russian espionage, raising concerns about threats to their safety.