For the first time, two women who were part of a Russian espionage ring operating from the UK have been identified in an investigation conducted by SANGGRALOKA.
Bulgarian citizens Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva were involved in complex surveillance activities targeting individuals monitored by the cell.
When reached out to by the SANGGRALOKA, neither of the women chose to answer the questions.
Ms. Gencheva, who works at the airport, ended the call when reached by telephone and declined to provide any comments regarding the case after receiving a follow-up letter.
Mrs. Doncheva refuted the notion of being who she was purported to be and retreated when confronted close to her residence in Vienna, Austria.
Another six Bulgarians are waiting for sentencing in London after being convicted for their involvement in espionage activities for Russia as members of the same network.
The police characterized the network as a “highly sophisticated” operation posing life-threatening risks. Out of those involved, three entered pleas of guilt, acknowledging their awareness that they were operating under Russian direction.
Three additional individuals were found guilty this month following a trial at the Old Bailey.
Having been unable to convince the jury of their innocence.
The cell was orchestrated from overseas by Jan Marsalek, hailing initially from Austria, he served as a business executive in Germany before turning into a Russian intelligence operative. The group’s objectives were focused on journalists investigating Russian espionage activities. Among these journalists was Roman Dobrokhorov.
informed the SANGGRALOKA he thought Vladimir Putin was ultimately accountable
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In court proceedings, details emerged regarding two unidentified females involved in espionage activities across Europe.
The SANGGRALOKA located and verified the identities of both women using open-source digital investigation and consulting with informants.
The mystery airport worker
Ms. Gencheva, residing in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, used her role within the aviation sector to gain access to confidential flight information related to individuals under scrutiny by the cell.
Agents trailed individuals onto aircraft and secured adjacent seating arrangements, allowing them to observe closely enough to witness keystrokes on their targets’ smartphones. At one point, they even managed to identify a PIN code linked to the cellphone of journalist Roman Dobrokhotov.
Ms. Gencheva was part of a group dispatched to Berlin to gather information on Mr. Dobrokhotov. She also participated in chat forums alongside three individuals implicated in the espionage activities within the United Kingdom: the alleged ringleader Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova. These channels served as platforms for organizing their covert operations.
She supplied flight data concerning journalist Christo Grozev and had the assignment of collecting as extensive travel-related information as feasible about an additional individual targeted by the group, namely Russian dissident Kirill Kachur.
In the Old Bailey proceedings, the enigmatic airline employee went by the names “Cvetka” or “Sveti.”
SANGGRALOKA first recognized Ms. Gencheva via her social media accounts. On Facebook, she had engaged with Katrin Ivanova and Biser Dzhambazov.
We later discovered she worked for an airline company.
Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she has worked in ticket sales at various travel firms. Meanwhile, records from Bulgaria state that she owns International Aviation Consult exclusively.
Screenshots of travel information discovered on cell leader Roussev’s hard drive originated from airline industry software called “Amadeus.”
On her LinkedIn profile, we discovered that Ms. Gencheva highlighted her expertise with the software.
Following the SANGGRALOKA’s investigation, which pinpointed Ms Gencheva, a source verified to the SANGGRALOKA that she has associations with Bulgaria’s security services linked to espionage activities. However, she hasn’t been accused of any crime.
We reached out to Ms. Gencheva using her Bulgarian mobile number which she uses for property dealings. When told that the call was coming from SANGGRALOKA News and would be recorded, she immediately hung up without giving us a chance to explain our reason for contacting her.
Regarding a letter outlining the evidence pertaining to her, she stated that she “does not want to comment on the case” and indicated that she did not authorize the use of her name. In Bulgarian writing, she asserted that she does not speak English proficiently. Nevertheless, her LinkedIn profile indicates that her command of English is at a “full professional proficiency” level and notes that she has completed studies in English up to an undergraduate degree.
The woman in Vienna
Ms Doncheva assisted in spying on the investigative journalist Christo Grozev in Vienna by renting an apartment across from his residence and using a camera to capture images of his home.
She received payment for orchestrating an anti-Ukraine propaganda effort. This involved placing stickers at various sites such as Vienna’s Soviet war monument with the aim of portraying Ukrainian supporters as neo-Nazis.
SANGGRALOKA identified Mrs. Doncheva via her social media accounts following the Old Bailey proceedings, which mentioned a “Tsveti” associated with the cell. Austrian sources subsequently verified her identity.
In Vienna, she encountered at least three individuals found guilty of espionage in the UK case – Vanya Gaberova, Biser Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova.
Austrian senior authorities such as the chief of the Secret Service Omar Hajawi-Pirchner were chosen for monitoring by Ms. Doncheva. This was also extended to include the Austrian investigative journalist Anna Thalhammer, known for her work on Russian espionage.
Ms Doncheva, who remains jobless, was apprehended by Austrian law enforcement in December.
Legal papers initially disclosed by the Austrian publications Profil and Falter, which were subsequently reviewed by SANGGRALOKA, indicate that she is “highly suspected of engaging in clandestine espionage activities detrimental to Austria.”
The woman informed investigators that she carried out surveillance after being approached by her longtime acquaintance Vanya Gaberova, who was among the six Bulgarian nationals waiting for their sentencing. According to her statement, Gaberova gave her a list containing names, addresses, and photos.
Initially, she informed the police that she was deceived by the others, who first claimed they were involved in a “student project” before stating they worked for Interpol. However, Austrian investigators have noted it seems “unfathomable” that Ms. Doncheva would believe these questionable tales.
According to the documents, the intelligence unit where Ms. Doncheva worked was essentially overseen by Jan Marsalek from Moscow on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies. The evidence gathered by investigators indicates that she was hired by both Marsalek and the head of the UK cell, Orlin Roussev.
The papers indicate that Marsalek ordered Anna Thalhammer to be targeted. Ms Doncheva confessed to law enforcement that she had taken pictures of the journalist’s former workplace and attempted to observe her from a neighboring eatery.
Ms. Thalhammer, currently an editor at the Austrian news magazine Profil, informed SANGGRALOKA that she learned from the police last year about being under surveillance initially. She has since become aware that this observation had been ongoing for some time.
He clearly sat at a lovely seafood restaurant near the office. I would highly recommend it. She mentioned that it was quite pricey and that she needed more funds. Eventually, she managed to get those funds.
She mentions that “that lady” also kept an eye on several “high-ranking individuals.”
Ms. Thalhammer is unsure about additional places she might have been followed, but she knows that some of her sources were pinpointed, and efforts were made to burglarize their residences.
She states, “Vienna is the capital of spies,” yet nobody has faced sentencing in the city for espionage, despite the claim that “the law here is highly favorable for spies.”
“I feel frustrated, and to be completely honest, I’m also somewhat frightened,” she said. “My daughter and I live together alone. It’s unsettling to realize that the government does not intervene when someone threatens reporters, politicians, or anyone for that matter.”
An active presence on social media platforms — even her cat boasts a TikTok account — Ms. Doncheva shared a picture of herself wearing a Vladimir Putin shirt on Facebook in both 2022 and 2023. In response to a comment noting that many Russian women wish they could bear Putin’s child, she remarked that this sentiment isn’t exclusive to Russia, accompanied by a lip-licking emoji.
Ms. Doncheva rejected claims of her identity when confronted by the SANGGRALOKA group in Vienna and declined to respond to queries, yet we have confirmed that the individual was indeed Ms. Doncheva.
When approached, she was wearing clothes and carrying items seen in Ms Doncheva’s social media posts: a distinctive blue tracksuit, a pair of glasses, and a patterned mobile phone case. We also observed her entering Ms Doncheva’s registered home address less than 20 minutes after she denied being Ms Doncheva.
A letter providing her an opportunity to comment has gone unanswered.
The two females collaborated with the six Bulgarians who were found guilty of plotting to espionage for Russia.
Almost 80,000TelegrammessagesbetweenRoussevandhiscontrollerMarsalekwereuncoveredbyUKpolice.
The communications exposed various missions executed by the group in the years leading up to February 2023, at which point their actions were halted by law enforcement.
The British intelligence agents also aimed their efforts at Ukrainian troops believed to be trained at a U.S. military installation in Germany. Roussev and Marsalek talked about abducting and assassinating journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov.
In contrast to the six spies who were found guilty in the UK, both Ms. Doncheva and Ms. Gencheva remain free and haven’t been accused of any wrongdoing.
The request made by the Austrian public prosecutor for pre-trial detention of Ms. Doncheva was denied, leading to her release.
The Austrian court papers indicate that there is “no danger” of Ms Doncheva fleeing since she is “well-integrated into society” and looks after her mother. Additionally, they mention that the likelihood of further criminal activity is relatively low due to the incarceration of those associated with the case in the United Kingdom.
Ms Thalhammer informed the SANGGRALOKA that she “cannot comprehend” why the individual who spied on her was set free.
Perhaps they should not take every word from a spy at face value.
She stated that the Austrian intelligence agency believes additional spy networks exist, and these groups have remained active even following the detention of the six Bulgarians in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Gencheva has stayed free in Bulgaria, where she openly presents herself as a seasoned expert in the aviation and tourism sectors.
Following communication with SANGGRALOKA, Ms. Gencheva updated her profile names on both Facebook and LinkedIn. She still maintains her listing of expertise in using the Amadeus aviation software.
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