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March 11, 2025 – Bulgaria –
Christo Grozev, a prominent Bulgarian investigative journalist and former lead Russia investigator at Bellingcat, has been the target of a coordinated Russian espionage operation. In 2023, U.S. officials alerted Grozev to a potential threat against him. Subsequent investigations revealed that a Bulgarian spy ring had been tracking him, allegedly planning his abduction. The operation was linked to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive businessman with ties to Russian intelligence.
The spy ring, operating out of a UK guesthouse, surveilled Grozev across multiple countries, including Austria, Spain, and Montenegro. They devised various methods to neutralize him, including a “honeytrap” plot involving a female agent, Katrin Ivanova, who attempted to befriend Grozev under the guise of a romantic interest. Additionally, the group discussed extreme measures such as poisoning and kidnapping.
During a court hearing at the Old Bailey, Grozev submitted a victim impact statement describing the ordeal as “terrifying, disorientating and deeply destabilising.” He emphasized the ongoing damage to his personal and professional life, as well as the lives of his family members.
The spy ring’s activities were extensive, involving surveillance of dissidents and journalists, including Roman Dobrokhotov and Kazakh dissident Bergey Ryskaliyev. The group’s operations spanned several years and were reportedly coordinated by Marsalek, who remains at large.
Grozev’s investigations have previously exposed Russian state-sponsored operations, such as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018. His work continues to shed light on covert activities, despite the personal risks involved.
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