• Six Bulgarians sentenced to over 50 years combined for espionage activities linked to Russia.
• The group operated using hidden cameras, fake passports, and discussed potential abductions.
• Investigators uncovered extensive digital communications and sophisticated surveillance equipment.
• Victims included investigative journalists and politically sensitive targets in Europe.

A London court has sentenced six Bulgarian nationals to more than 50 years collectively for their involvement in a Russian espionage ring described as one of the most extensive operations ever discovered in the UK. The group was caught using fake passports, hidden cameras, and a complex network of communication that included discussions about honeytraps and potential abductions, all uncovered during a thorough police investigation, according to CBS News, South China Morning Post, and Anadolu Agency.

The key figure, Orlin Roussev, was found to have led the operation from a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, where police seized numerous items used for spying, including sophisticated listening devices and hidden cameras. Judge Nicholas Hilliard pointed out that the risks posed by their activities were significant, impacting not only national security but also innocent individuals targeted by the espionage activities, according to CBS News and South China Morning Post.

During the trial, it was revealed that communications from Roussev's phone included plans for several covert operations targeting Ukrainian soldiers and journalists who had reported on Russian state actions. Roussev's network even planned to infiltrate a high-profile journalist's life using a "honeytrap" strategy, showcasing the covert nature of their tactics which echoed cinematic espionage narratives, as detailed by CBS News and Anadolu Agency.

Additionally, investigators highlighted that the group had targeted two journalists known for their work critical of Russian state interests and had planned operations that included gathering intelligence on exiled Kazakh dissidents in London. After a series of coordinated raids, police cataloged files and messages that detail these extensive operations, which also linked back to interactions with Jan Marsalek, an individual wanted by Interpol, associated with Russian intelligence, as reported by South China Morning Post and Anadolu Agency.