A man who has admitted spying for Russia in the UK discussed potentially killing a journalist who uncovered Russian links to the 2018 Salisbury attack, a court has heard.
Orlin Roussev allegedly exchanged messages in 2021 about targeting Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian national and an investigative journalist for the ‘Bellingcat’ group.
Roussev, 46, from Great Yarmouth, as well as Biser Dzhambazov, 43, from London, have admitted conspiracy to spy. Their guilty pleas were able to be reported for the first time on Thursday.
Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, all from London, deny a charge of conspiracy to spy.
Ms Ivanova also denies possessing multiple false identify documents.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court Roussev and Dzhambazov had already admitted being part of the same espionage activity.
The three defendants on trial are accused of having spied for the benefit of Russia, “an enemy of the UK”, between 2020 and 2023, Ms Morgan said.
She added that they sought to gather information including about various targets, both people and locations, of particular interest to the Russian state.
Jurors were told that messages between the defendants showed them acting as a “team”, working under the direction of Roussev, and that he, in turn, received instructions from Jan Marsalek, who was working as an “intermediary for the Russian intelligence services”.
The court heard Marsalek is an Austrian national and can “properly be described as a Russian agent”.
The court heard that a Great Yarmouth guesthouse occupied by Roussev was “packed” with technical equipment used for spying.
During the period of the alleged conspiracy, the group had available 221 mobile phones, 258 hard drives, 495 SIM cards, 33 audio recording devices, 55 visual recording devices, 11 drones, 16 radios, and three IMSI grabbers – which are highly technical pieces of equipment that allow for data about devices being used nearby to be captured and exploited.
They also had Wi-Fi eavesdropping devices and jammers, and 75 passports and identity documents, including 55 in other individuals’ names, the court heard.
Ms Morgan said the defendants were “sophisticated in their methodology; carrying out surveillance activity of individuals and places; manufacturing and using false identities and deploying advanced technology to acquire information”.
She said the defendants had “obtained imagery” and “compiled detailed reports on their targets”.
“They were paid significant sums of money for their actions. And they all knew why they were being tasked to conduct their operations. Their activity was being undertaken for the direct or indirect benefit of Russia,” she said.
