Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Metropolitan Police handout

A spy ring gathered information to be used by Russia that was "prejudicial to the safety of the state", the Old Bailey heard today.

The remarks, made by Mr Justice Hilliard, came shortly before he handed out sentences to six defendants - all Bulgarian nationals - who he said were liable to be deported after serving time in prison.

In the course of sentencing, the court heard details of the six operations that made up the prosecution's case against the group - we've more on how that includes a kidnapping plot and faked protest in a post earlier on.

Before trial, ringleader Orlin Roussev denied that there was any "James Bond activity" on his end in police interviews. But the court heard how vast amounts of surveillance equipment had been found in his 33 bedroom former guesthouse.

Meanwhile, another defendant Vanya Gaberova was told: "You knew what you were doing was for the benefit of Russia".

The motivation for these acts, Mr Justice Hilliard said, was money.

We've a post outlining the price each defendant will pay for their crimes, with sentences ranging from 10 years and eight months' imprisonment to five years and three weeks.

Reacting to the outcome, the Metropolitan Police says the sentences show "espionage on an industrial scale", and highlight the "serious threat" the group posed to the UK.

That brings our live coverage to a close, but you can get a reminder of the facts of the case in our news story. Thanks for reading.

Chris Bell
Reporting from the Old Bailey

Six Bulgarian nationals convicted of spying for Russia have been sentenced to between five and ten years in jail.

Mr Justice Hilliard said the group's activities risked the safety and interests of the UK.

The group, directed on behalf of Russian intelligence services by Jan Marsalek, an Austrian fugitive, conducted surveillance operations on targets of interest to the Kremlin, including investigative journalists and Russian dissidents.

Roussev and Marsalek plotted to kidnap and murder some of those targets, though these plans were never realised.

Marsalek is reported to be in Moscow after fleeing fraud charges in Germany following the collapse of payments processing company Wirecard, for which he was the chief operating officer.

Conspiracy to spy carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, but Roussev, Dzhambazov and Stoyanov were afforded some credit for their guilty pleas ahead of a trial in which Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev were convicted.

In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Hilliard said using the UK as a base to plan spy operations was a "very serious offence" which "undermines this country’s standing with allies".

"Targeting journalists… undermines freedom of the press, one of our core democratic values," he added.

Daniel De Simone
Investigations Correspondent, reporting from the Old Bailey

The judge spoke about how Bizer Dzhambazov, who was sentenced to 10 years and two months, deceived the two female spies - Katrin Ivanova and Vanya Gaberova – in a romantic sense.

He was in a relationship with both of them. Living with Katrin Ivanova while having a long-term affair with Vanya Gaberova.

Both women claimed, in their defence, that he was also deceitful in involving them in the spying.

But the judge didn't accept that - he made it clear today that both women knew what they were involved in.

Katrin Ivanova was sentenced to nine years and eight months, Vanya Gaberova was sentenced to six years, eight months, and three weeks.

Image source, PA Media

Tom Beal
Investigations journalist, reporting from the Old Bailey

Orlin Roussev was the first of the six to hear his sentence read out in Court 8 by Mr Justice Hilliard. He looked on showing no emotion, though covered his mouth to apparently hide a cough. Likewise Bizer Dzhambazov looked impassively on as he heard his sentence.

While Roussev and Dzhambazov had chatted in the dock ahead of the judge arriving, Ivanova had studiously ignored them. It was while in prison she learned that her long time partner Dzhambazov had been in relationship with Vanya Gaberova - and she was now a metre away from her former lover.

Ivanova looked down as she heard her sentence but, in contrast to when she gave evidence in court, she did not cry. After the sentencing Ivanova left the dock first without having to pass Dzhambazov.

The expectation amongst journalists in court was that once the first three had received their sentences they would be led down and the other three - who had been watching on a link from Court 14 - would be led in.

But instead Justice Hilliard sentenced them on a link - it was hard to discern from the grainy TV screen in Court 8 reactions as the three received their sentences.

Gaberova’s mother was in the public gallery of Court 8 for her daughter’s sentencing. A packed court, which included Bulgarian and German journalists, emptied quickly after the sentencing.

The strength of the police investigation into the group left the "ringleaders with no option but to plead guilty", the Metropolitan Police's head of counter-terrorism, Commander Dominic Murphy says.

"As shown in footage from his initial interviews, Roussev firmly denied carrying out any espionage activity for Russia. However, before he was due to stand trial, he admitted that he had been part of the conspiracy to spy," he says.

Reacting to this afternoon's sentencing, Murphy says the significant jail terms show the "serious threat they posed to the safety and interests of the UK, as well as targets across Europe", which he described as "espionage on an industrial scale."

Murphy adds that the case "highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being 'outsourced' by certain states".

We can now bring you footage of the spy cell's ringleader, Orlin Roussev, during his police interview, where he assures police that there is "no James Bond activity on my end".

This afternoon, Roussev was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison.

Image source, Metropolitan Police Handout

Here's a breakdown of the sentences we just heard from Mr Justice Hilliard:

• Orlin Roussev: 10 years and eight months
• Bizer Dzhambazov: 10 years and two months
• Katrin Ivanova: Nine years and eight months
• Vanya Gaberova: Six years, eight months, and three weeks
• Tihomir Ivanchev: Eight years
• Ivan Stoyanov: Five years and three weeks

Shortly before passing sentence, the judge told the defendants that they would serve half of their sentences in prison, before then being liable to be deported to Bulgaria from the UK.

The judge detailed the sentences for all six Bulgarian nationals.

And with that, the sentencing at the Old Bailey ends. Stay with us for analysis.

In his work for the group, Ivan Stoyanov was "reckless" as to whether any information communicated might have been of use to Russia, the judge says.

He adds that Stoyanov has pleaded guilty, which leads to a "fair" allowance of 15% on his sentence, however notes that the plea was made at a very late stage.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

The final defendant, 33-year-old Ivan Stoyanov, is handed a sentence of five years and three weeks' imprisonment.

Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, is sentenced to eight years.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

In his comments before sentencing Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, the judge says that his involvement in the spy ring stopped before the group's arrest in 2023.

He adds that he has reports of good behaviour in custody.

In sentencing Vanya Gaberova, the judge says he has taken into account her position in the hierarchy of the spy ring.

He notes that she was involved in three operations: one, three and six. These involved surveillance to identify three individuals who had done you no wrong, he says.

"You knew what you were doing was benefit of Russia," Mr Justice Hilliard says.

He speaks at length about a psychological report into her mental wellbeing, but says that the findings of the report do not reduce her culpability. He says he is making a limited allowance for her claustrophobia diagnosis, but is satisfied that it can be managed while in jail.

He also makes an allowance similar to that of Ivanova, that she may have been convinced to get involved at the beginning against her better judgement, but says that a video she took of herself showed that she found the work exciting and glamorous.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

Defendant four, Vanya Gaberova, 30, is sentenced to six years, eight months and three weeks' imprisonment.

The judge accepts that Ivanova would not have become involved in anything like this without meeting Bizer Dzhambazov. But Ivanova had "thrown in your lot with him by free choice for better or worse", he says.

He says he is sure that she was not deceived by him about any of the work she did for the spy ring. He says he has made a small allowance because she may have gotten involved at the start against her better judgement, but she was an enthusiastic participant for a long time.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

Mr Justice Hilliard sentences 33-year-old Katrin Ivanova to nine years and eight months in prison for count one, and on count two, a concurrent sentence of 15 months in prison.

In his sentencing of Orlin Roussev, Mr Justice Hilliard noted that he was involved in all six operations, and was only just before "Mr Ticz" in the hierarchy of the spy ring.

He says Roussev "knew all about the scale of conspiracy" and therefore the culpability is high.

Bizer Dzhambazov, 44, is sentenced to 10 years and two months.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service

Orlin Roussev, 47, - described by the Crown Prosecution Service as the spy ring's director - is sentenced to 10 years and eight months' imprisonment.

We're getting up to the sentences being handed down now. Orlin Roussev is up first. We will bring you the judge's comments are they are delivered.