Bulgarian who spied for Russia in UK discussed sale of drones to Chinese contact, court told

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A spy for Russia living in the UK discussed selling captured US-made battlefield drones to a Chinese military contact, British prosecutors said on Monday.

Orlin Roussev, 46, told former Wirecard chief operating officer Jan Marsalek in June 2022 that their “Chinese friends” were “asking if we can sell them some captured in Ukraine American Switchblade Drones”, according to messages shown to jurors at the Old Bailey in London.

Switchblades are miniature drones that detonate after hitting their target. In May 2022 the US Department of Defense provided 700 to Ukraine.

While the identity of the pair’s Chinese contacts was not revealed, Roussev said in the messages that the request had come from a person in the Chinese army and that the drones could be delivered “gift-wrapped” to the Chinese embassy. The country in which the embassy was located was not specified.

“Based on what Orlin Roussev is saying, the Chinese seem to be interested in material that was of Ukrainian provenance,” prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, said.

Roussev has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to spy in connection with an alleged ring of Bulgarian nationals said to have spied for Russia. UK prosecutors have said Marsalek co-ordinated the group’s activities.

The latest claims came in the ongoing trial of three of the Bulgarian nationals — Katrin Ivanova, 33; Vanya Gaberova, 30; and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39 — who have all been charged with conspiracy to spy. Ivanova faces another count of possessing false identity documents with improper intent.

All three defendants deny the charges. Another member of the group, Biser Dzhambazov, 43, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to spy.

The messages between Roussev and Marsalek were exchanged as the alleged spy ring surveilled journalist Christo Grozev, who was lead Russia investigator with Bellingcat until 2023, and discussed whether to rob, kidnap or kill their target, the jury heard.

The pair also discussed buying drones from contacts in China for their surveillance operations, according to the prosecution.

Marsalek notified Roussev in June 2022 that “we will finally get the six drones order approved tomorrow. Payment in roubles by wire transfer to the Chinese (OK?)”, the messages showed.

He also suggested infiltrating the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress using undercover German spies, to which Roussev said he would relay the request to the “Beijing Bureau”, according to the messages.

The trial continues.