Two Bulgarian women named in British Russian spy ring

Two women, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, have been identified as part of a Russian spy ring operating from Britain. Both are Bulgarian nationals. They were linked to a network led by Jan Marsalek, who ran the infamous tech company Wirecard before it collapsed in 2020. The group was found guilty of conspiracy to spy in a recent court case at the Old Bailey. The spy operation communicated with orders from Moscow through Marsalek, who is wanted in Europe. In a separate 12-week trial, three others, Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev, were also convicted for their roles. Two other suspects, Orlin Roussev and Bizer Dzhambazov, admitted guilt earlier. Gencheva worked at an airport and used her position to access private flight details of individuals targeted by their group. Reports say she got so close to targets that she could see their phone activities. She reportedly spied on journalist Roman Dobrokhotov in Berlin and gathered information on another journalist, Christo Grozev. Doncheva also targeted Grozev while living across from him in Vienna. She allegedly used a camera to monitor his activities and participated in an anti-Ukraine propaganda effort. She was arrested by Austrian police in December, but she hasn't been convicted of any crimes. Despite attempts to contact both women, they have not responded to inquiries. Gencheva hung up when called, and Doncheva identified herself as someone else before leaving.