Russian Spy Ring Targeted Ukrainian Troops at US Military Base in Germany

A trial in London has revealed that a Russian spy ring attempted to use sophisticated surveillance equipment to track the mobile phones of Ukrainian soldiers being trained at a US military base in Germany.

According to BBC, this operation, which was thwarted after the suspects' arrests, could have had significant implications for Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

The group, consisting of Bulgarian nationals Katrin Ivanova (33), Vanya Gaberova (30), and Tihomir Ivanchev (39), along with other conspirators, is accused of participating in several covert operations on behalf of the Russian state.

The prosecution outlined that the group was led by Russian agent Jan Marsalek, who issued instructions to the network from the UK, aiming to gather intelligence and influence events to Russia’s advantage.

According to the prosecution, one of the group’s main objectives was to surveil Ukrainian soldiers who were being trained to operate the Patriot air defense systems at the base near Stuttgart, Germany.

The defendants allegedly planned to use an IMSI Catcher, a device capable of intercepting and tracking mobile phone signals, to locate military personnel and monitor communications. This information could have potentially provided Russia with critical data on the positioning of Ukrainian defense systems once deployed in the field.

The operation, which took place between October and November 2022 during a crucial phase of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was reportedly organized under the direction of Orlin Roussev, a key figure who has already admitted his involvement.

Roussev, alongside other members of the spy ring, allegedly worked under Marsalek’s direction to monitor various targets, including a former Kazakh politician and the Kazakh embassy in London.