LONDON A UK court has sentenced six Bulgarian nationals for conducting espionage on behalf of Russia, uncovering one of the most extensive foreign spy rings in recent British history.
Orlin Roussev, identified as the group’s ringleader, was handed a 10-year and 8-month prison sentence for overseeing an intelligence operation that funneled confidential UK information to Russian security services. The group was found to have operated from a modest guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, concealing their activities behind an ordinary façade.
The Crown Prosecution Service detailed that the spy network used surveillance equipment, fake documents, and encrypted communications to gather and transmit sensitive material posing a serious threat to UK national security.
Judge Tony Badenoch KC, presiding over the trial, remarked that the group’s actions amounted to “deep betrayal of the UK’s democratic institutions,” and emphasized that Roussev’s operations had “direct links to Russian state actors.”
Among Roussev’s accomplices, Katrin Ivanova, Biser Dzhambazov, Vanya Gaberova, Rosen Iliev, and Ivan Stoyanov received prison terms ranging from 3 to 7 years, depending on their level of involvement.
British intelligence officials believe the ring had been active for over a decade, originally posing as migrants or legitimate professionals. The guesthouse—described by neighbors as “quiet and unremarkable” became a covert hub for document forgery, surveillance coordination, and encrypted data transfers.
The Russian government has denied involvement, calling the case “a fabricated provocation,” though the UK Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador to explain Moscow’s interference in British affairs.
This case reignites concerns in Westminster over foreign interference, national security vulnerabilities, and the use of migrant networks for covert espionage. The MI5 has reportedly increased surveillance on suspected operatives as part of a broader post-trial crackdown.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement, “This verdict reaffirms that the United Kingdom will not tolerate state-sponsored espionage. We are resolute in defending our sovereignty.”
The sentencing marks a significant victory for British counterintelligence operations but also serves as a sobering reminder that hostile foreign activity on UK soil is far from over.
