UK Jails Six Bulgarians for Russian Spy Ring in London, Europe

Six Bulgarian nationals were sentenced to a combined 50 years in prison in London for operating a Russian spy ring across Britain and Europe, targeting journalists, politicians, and military personnel. Led by Orlin Roussev, the group used sophisticated espionage techniques including spyware hidden in everyday items and communicated via over 200,000 encrypted messages. Their activities included surveilling journalists linked to Russia’s Salisbury poisoning investigation, spying on a US military base in Germany training Ukrainian forces, and monitoring pro-Western figures. The spy ring's actions, described by authorities as "espionage on an industrial scale," involved operations in multiple countries and were motivated primarily by money. The court highlighted the risk to national security posed by the group, noting their discussions about kidnapping or killing Kremlin opponents and staging fake protests. The sentences ranged from five to over ten years, with some agents described as being manipulated through personal relationships within the ring.