Russian Agent Expressed Desire for ‘Successful UK Operation’ After Skripal Incident, Court Hears

The Old Bailey was informed that a Russian agent, who oversaw a spy network active in the UK, expressed that a “successful operation on British ground would be amazing” following the unsuccessful nerve agent assault on Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. The court learned that Jan Marsalek, an Austrian national serving as a Russian agent, communicated through multiple messages with Orlin Roussev, who is from Great Yarmouth. Mr. Roussev, aged 46, along with Biser Dzhambazov, 43, from London, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to spy. Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, all residing in London, have entered pleas of not guilty to conspiracy to spy. Additionally, Ms. Ivanova denies charges of possessing numerous false identity documents. The jury was informed that the group participated in six operations targeting individuals and locations deemed significant to the Russian state over a period spanning almost three years. Alison Morgan KC, in her ongoing opening statement for the prosecution, identified Roman Dobrokhotov, a Russian investigative journalist based in the UK, as one of the targets. The court heard that Marsalek and Roussev deliberated Mr. Dobrokhotov’s possible movements within the UK, with Marsalek remarking that “a successful operation on British ground would be amazing” following the “Skripal stuff.” The jury was informed that the group routinely acquired private flight information, and that Ms. Ivanova managed to sit sufficiently close to Mr. Dobrokhotov on a flight to observe the PIN for his mobile phone. The court received information regarding the alleged espionage operation concerning investigative journalist Christo Grozev, whose investigations have encompassed demonstrating Russian connections to the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack. Mr. Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and former police officer Nick Bailey were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in March 2018, but they survived. Dawn Sturgess, aged 44, passed away in July 2018 after exposure to the nerve agent, which had been abandoned in a perfume bottle in nearby Amesbury. Ms. Morgan detailed the surveillance conducted on Mr. Grozev across several countries, specifically mentioning Bulgaria, Spain, and Austria. Communications exchanged between Roussev and Marsalek were presented, discussing prospective plans concerning Mr. Grozev. Roussev stated that in Bulgaria, he possessed the means to abduct Mr. Grozev, administer drugs to him, and confine him in a “cave” prior to initiating an “extraction process.” Ms. Morgan stated that the group conducted a period of continuous surveillance on Mr. Grozev’s residence in Vienna using “multiple cameras,” and also intercepted mail there. In Valencia, Spain, the court was informed that Mr. Grozev was trailed within a hotel hosting a conference for his employer, Bellingcat. Covert photographs were taken of him during breakfast, including images with Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins. The jury was apprised that the purported spies could ascertain which flights Mr. Grozev would be taking, leading to surveillance teams being booked onto those same aircraft. The court viewed video footage recorded by Ms. Ivanova on a flight from Vienna to Montenegro, utilizing “surveillance video glasses.” The video depicted Mr. Grozev walking along the aisle and showed Ms. Ivanova transmitting the video to Dzhambazov via her phone. Jurors were informed that Roussev and Marsalek also deliberated employing Ms. Gaberova as a “honeytrap” against Mr. Grozev, subsequent to her adding him as a friend on Facebook. The court heard them characterize Ms. Gaberova as “very, very assertive and strongly independent” and “sexy.” Ms. Morgan stated that they evidently believed Ms. Gaberova would be able to execute a “honeytrap operation” without succumbing to emotions and falling in love with Mr. Grozev. The jury was additionally apprised of an operation that involved the surveillance of Bergey Ryskaliyev, a Kazakhstan national and former politician. Ms. Morgan indicated that he was targeted in November 2021 at two locations in central London. A message from Roussev to Marsalek outlined “DHL, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Pizza Express, all different outfits and the Ambulance of course” as potential means to gain access to a building. The jury was presented with mobile phone footage recorded by Ms. Gaberova outside a property where Mr. Ryskaliyev was thought to be residing. The proceedings are ongoing. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.