Sixth alleged Russian spy to be charged in UK

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with business and construction representatives during a visit to Panattoni Park, an industrial park being built on the site of the former Honda Swindon car plant, near Swindon, southwest Britain, March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool

A sixth suspected member of a Russian spying network based in Britain will be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Tihomir Ivanchev, 38, will be charged with "conspiring to obtain, collect, record, publish or communicate documents or information" which could be useful for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state, the CPS said.

He will appear at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The CPS had previously charged five Bulgarian nationals with being part of an alleged Russian spy ring between August 2020 and February 2023.

Orlin Roussev, 46, Bizer Dzhambazov, 42, Katrin Ivanova, 32, Ivan Stoyanov, 32, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, all Bulgarian nationals who lived in London and Norfolk, were arrested by counter-terrorism police in February 2023.

They are due to stand trial in London in October.