In a gripping investigation, two women tied to a clandestine Russian spy network operating from the UK have been unmasked. Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, both Bulgarian nationals, played critical roles in a web of espionage that stretched across Europe, targeting journalists and dissidents under Moscow’s shadow.
This exposé comes hot on the heels of a London court case where six other Bulgarians await sentencing for their part in the same operation—a network so intricate that UK police dubbed it a “highly sophisticated” threat to lives. Three confessed their allegiance to Russia, while the others couldn’t sway a jury at the Old Bailey this month. Now, my investigation pulls back the curtain on the two women who dodged the spotlight—until today.
### The Puppet Master and His Pawns
At the helm of this operation was Jan Marsalek, an Austrian ex-businessman turned Russian intelligence operative, pulling strings from afar. His targets? Fearless journalists like Roman Dobrokhotov, who told me he’s certain Vladimir Putin’s hand is behind it all, and Christo Grozev, whose exposés on Russian covert ops made him a marked man.
I tracked down Gencheva and Doncheva through a mix of digital sleuthing and insider tips, revealing their covert deeds in a saga that reads like a Cold War thriller. Neither woman was keen to chat—Gencheva hung up on me mid-sentence, later penning a curt “no comment,” while Doncheva flat-out denied being herself when I caught up with her in Vienna.
### Cvetelina Gencheva: The Flyer with Secrets
Based in Sofia, Gencheva turned her airline job into a goldmine for the spy ring. She snagged private flight details, handing over itineraries like a maître d’ serving up a menu. Her intel put spies on planes, seated close enough to peek at targets’ phones—one even nabbed Dobrokhotov’s PIN mid-flight.
She teamed up with the UK cell’s big shots—Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova—via chat groups, plotting moves like a chess grandmaster. From Berlin missions shadowing Dobrokhotov to digging dirt on dissident Kirill Kachur, Gencheva—known in court as “Cvetka” or “Sveti”—was the linchpin.
Her LinkedIn brags about mastering “Amadeus,” the airline software found on Roussev’s hard drive, and her Facebook ties her to the convicted trio. A Bulgarian security source confirmed she’s on their radar, yet she’s free, tweaking her profiles after I reached out but still touting her aviation chops.
### Tsvetanka Doncheva: Vienna’s Watchful Eye
Over in Vienna, Doncheva set up shop across from Grozev’s home, camera in hand, snapping his every move. She doubled as a propaganda peddler, slapping anti-Ukraine stickers around town—think Soviet war memorials—to smear Kyiv’s backers as neo-Nazis.
Known as “Tsveti” in court, she rubbed elbows with Gaberova, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova, and took aim at Austrian heavyweights like spy chief Omar Haijawi-Pirchner and journalist Anna Thalhammer, who’s been digging into Moscow’s games.
Austrian cops nabbed her in December, and court papers I’ve seen scream “secret intelligence against Austria.” She spun a yarn to investigators—claiming Gaberova tricked her with tales of “student projects” or Interpol gigs—but they weren’t buying it. Evidence pins her to Marsalek and Roussev, with Marsalek calling shots from Moscow.
Thalhammer, now running Profil magazine, told me she’s rattled: “She sat in a fancy fish joint across from my office, whining about the bill. Vienna’s a spy haven, but no one’s locked up for it.” Released despite the evidence, Doncheva’s back home, tending to her mom—and her cat’s TikTok.
### The Bigger Picture
The UK cell’s antics—busted in February 2023—ranged from stalking Ukrainian troops at a U.S. base in Germany to plotting journalist abductions. Nearly 80,000 Telegram chats between Roussev and Marsalek lay bare the stakes.
While their six comrades face justice, Gencheva and Doncheva walk free. Austria’s courts shrugged off Doncheva’s detention, citing her “social ties,” and Thalhammer’s left fuming: “Don’t trust a spy’s sob story.” She’s convinced more cells are out there, a hunch Austrian intel shares.
Gencheva, meanwhile, keeps up her airline pro façade in Bulgaria, unfazed—or so she’d have you think.
This isn’t just a story—it’s a warning. The shadows are deep, and the players are bold. Who’s next?
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