Russian spy ring leader jailed in UK for nearly 11 years

LONDON: The leader of a British-based Russian spy ring which prosecutors said carried out surveillance for the Kremlin was on Monday sentenced in a London court to nearly 11 years in jail.

Orlin Roussev, 47, pleaded guilty before trial to one count of conspiracy to spy for Russia after police found thousands of messages between him and Wirecard fugitive Jan Marsalek, who directed the unit of Bulgarian nationals from overseas.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard sentenced Roussev to 10 years and eight months in prison, telling Roussev that the operations he had directed posed a serious risk to Britain’s national security.

Roussev is one of six Bulgarians convicted over their roles in the team directed by Marsalek to carry out surveillance on journalists, dissidents and Ukrainian soldiers being trained at a U.S. military base in Germany.

Three of the group were found guilty in March after a trial, while Roussev, his deputy Biser Dzhambazov, 44, and a third man – Ivan Stoyanov, 33 – pleaded guilty last year.

Dzhambazov was sentenced to 10 years and two months.

Prosecutors said the unit did not work directly for Russian intelligence and were motivated mostly by money.

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The Russian embassy in London has not commented on the case, though the Kremlin has always rejected such spying allegations.

Relations between Britain and Russia have plunged to post-Cold War lows since the start of the Ukraine war, with Britain accusing Russia of trying to cause “mayhem” in Europe.

Marsalek’s lawyer in Germany – where he is wanted as the former chief operating officer of collapsed payments company Wirecard – previously declined to comment.

His whereabouts are unknown but he is believed to be in Russia.