Novinite.com
25 Mar 2025

Two Bulgarian women who were involved in a Russian spy network operating from the UK have been identified for the first time through a . Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva participated in surveillance operations targeting individuals of interest to the espionage cell.

Gencheva, an airline industry worker based in Sofia, used her position to obtain private flight details of those under surveillance. Spies then followed their targets onto flights, securing nearby seats to observe them closely. In one instance, they were able to see a journalist's phone screen and even identify a PIN code. Gencheva was part of a team that traveled to Berlin to spy on Russian journalist Roman Dobrokhotov and was also involved in gathering travel data on investigative journalist Christo Grozev and Russian dissident Kirill Kachur.

Doncheva was based in Vienna, where she conducted surveillance on Grozev by setting up a camera opposite his residence. She was also involved in an anti-Ukraine propaganda campaign, distributing stickers at various locations, including Vienna's Soviet war memorial, in an effort to portray Ukraine supporters as extremists. Additionally, she gathered intelligence on Austrian officials and journalists, including Anna Thalhammer, an editor at the Austrian news magazine Profil.

The BBC tracked down Gencheva through her social media activity, which showed interactions with members of the convicted spy network. Her LinkedIn profile listed expertise with Amadeus, a software used in the airline industry, which was also found on the hard drive of Orlin Roussev, the cell's leader. A source confirmed to the BBC that Bulgarian security services were aware of Gencheva's connection to the espionage operation. She has not been charged with any crime.

When contacted by the BBC, Gencheva hung up the phone and later responded to a letter stating that she did not wish to comment. She also claimed not to be proficient in English, despite her LinkedIn profile listing full professional fluency and a degree-level education in English. Following the BBC's inquiries, she altered her social media profiles.

Doncheva was arrested by Austrian police in December but was later released. She told investigators she had been recruited by Vanya Gaberova, another Bulgarian spy awaiting sentencing in the UK. She initially claimed she believed she was working on a student project and later that she had been misled into thinking it was an Interpol operation. However, Austrian authorities dismissed these explanations, stating that her involvement in espionage was clear.

Court documents in Austria indicate that Doncheva was directly contracted by Jan Marsalek, a Russian intelligence asset based in Moscow, and UK cell leader Orlin Roussev. Marsalek also directed operations targeting journalist Thalhammer, including surveillance of her workplace. Thalhammer was informed by police that she had been under observation for some time, and attempts had been made to identify and break into the homes of her sources.

The six Bulgarians already convicted in the UK were described by police as part of a highly sophisticated Russian espionage network that posed a serious threat. Three members admitted to knowingly working for Russia, while the remaining three were found guilty after failing to convince the court of their innocence. The network's targets included investigative journalists and Ukrainian soldiers believed to be training at a US military base in Germany.

The BBC approached Doncheva near her residence in Vienna, but she denied being herself and walked away. However, she was later observed entering her registered home address. She has also not responded to requests for comment. On social media, she had previously posted photos wearing a Vladimir Putin T-shirt and engaged in discussions expressing admiration for the Russian president.

Despite the evidence linking them to the espionage network, neither woman has been convicted. The Austrian prosecutor's request for Doncheva's pre-trial detention was denied, with authorities citing a low risk of her fleeing the country and her role as a caretaker for her mother. Thalhammer, who was one of Doncheva's targets, expressed frustration at her release, stating that Austria's laws are overly lenient on espionage activities and warning that other spy cells remain active.

Meanwhile, Gencheva continues to present herself publicly as an airline and travel industry professional. After being contacted by the BBC, she made changes to her online profiles but has not addressed the allegations against her.