Russian Spy Family Convicted of Espionage in Slovenia Receives Orders of Courage From Putin Upon Return

Vladimir Putin has awarded the Order of Courage to Anna and Artem Dultsev, who were convicted of espionage in Slovenia and returned to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange.

This was stated in an article in the December issue of the magazine Razvedchik.

The awarding of the Dultsevs was not officially announced. The magazine includes an interview with the couple, as well as a brief biography stating that they were awarded the Order of Courage.

The report notes that in 2009, the Dultsevs were "offered the opportunity" to serve in intelligence, after which they underwent specialized training for three years. Since 2012, they had been living abroad.

In the interview, they shared that they met in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, both already serving as intelligence officers. "To be honest, we had a joint counterterrorism mission, which lasted about a week," said Anna Dultseva.

"Right now, the most important thing is to help our children adapt and learn the language. We also want to show them our beautiful country. Then, of course, we are ready to continue our service; there’s still so much we want to accomplish," Artem Dultsev replied when asked about their future plans.

The couple allegedly operated out of Slovenia's capital, using it as a hub to travel to neighboring NATO and EU countries, transmit orders from Moscow, and deliver cash to other Russian sleeper agents.

In January 2023, Slovenian authorities arrested the Russian married couple in Ljubljana on charges of espionage.

The arrest of the couple has underscored the persistent threat of Russian espionage activities in Europe, particularly in smaller EU and NATO member states like Slovenia.