Man who spied for Russia in UK ‘discussed killing journalist’

Operation 1

Jurors heard that this was targeting Mr Grozev. Among other things, he uncovered Russian links to the 2018 Salisbury attack.

The court heard that, in 2021, Jan Marsalek and Roussev exchanged messages discussing their options in relation to Mr Grozev, including the placing of team members in seats next to him on planes.

They also discussed potentially robbing him of his laptop and phone and taking it to the Russian Embassy, burning his property, kidnapping him and taking him to Moscow, or killing him.

Operation 2

Allegedly targeting Roman Dobrokhotov in November 2022. He is a Russian investigative journalist and founder of the media outlet ‘The Insider’.

He had to flee Russia having been arrested and then deprived of his passport.

Operation 3

This targeted a man called Bergey Ryskaliyev in November 2021, the court heard.

Mr Ryskaliyev is a Kazakhstan national and former politician. He fled to the United Kingdom where he was later granted asylum.

There is and was a clear motive for Russia to develop relations with Kazakhstan, the court heard.

Prosecutors said that targeting a political dissident on behalf of Kazakhstan cultivates those relations by providing Kazakhstan with what it might consider to be assistance.

Operation 4

Allegedly planning disruptive activity at the Kazakh embassy in London in September 2022.

The court heard that the plan was to stage a demonstration outside the embassy – a “fake protest” – to create a pretence that they were in possession of genuine intelligence about those responsible, which they would then pass on to the Kazakhstan intelligence to try to gain favour with Kazakhstan on behalf of Russia.

Operation 5

Alleged surveillance at the Patch Barracks, a US Military Base in Stuttgart in late 2022.

This is a US military airbase, which jurors heard was believed by the defendants to be a location where Ukrainian forces were being trained in the use of surface to air weapons, at the very time of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.

Prosecutors say the defendants’ plan was to target the airbase using a range of highly sophisticated technology designed to capture key intelligence about those present on the base.

Operation 6

Jurors were told this plan was targeting a man called Kirill Kachur.

He a Russian national who spent time in Montenegro who was employed by the Investigative Committee of Russia but left the country in 2021 and was designated as a “foreign agent” by Russia in November 2023.