Russian Spy Ring’s Murder Plans Were ‘Beyond Imagination’

• Mar 10, 2025

A Bulgarian journalist targeted by a Russian spy ring has revealed that the group had devised a list of “assassination methods” so extreme that they were “beyond any imagination.”

Christo Grozev, a journalist known for his investigations into Russian intelligence, told the BBC that the group had “fantasized” about his death, considering methods such as a sledgehammer attack and even hiring an Islamic State suicide bomber to target him.

Grozev, who has worked alongside fellow investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov, detailed how they had been tracked across Europe by Russian operatives. He described several incidents where spies had been closely monitoring them, sometimes just steps away.

His revelations come in the wake of last week’s conviction of three Bulgarian nationals for spying on behalf of Russia. This case has been described as one of the most significant foreign intelligence operations uncovered in the UK.

Chilling Assassination Plots

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, Grozev described a list of assassination methods that he said read “like a film noir.”

One particularly disturbing plot involved hiring an Islamic State suicide bomber to detonate near him in a public space. Another plan included kidnapping him and sending him to a torture camp in Syria. To add to the deception, a man wearing a latex mask resembling Grozev would fly to Russia, where he would be publicly “arrested” in a staged operation for plausible deniability.

“There was also a plan to bludgeon me to death using a sledgehammer,” Grozev added, emphasizing the “fantasy and imagination” of these so-called spies.

‘Outsourcing’ Espionage to Non-Professionals

Grozev believes the failures of Russian intelligence in recent years have led to the outsourcing of espionage operations to non-professional spies. While these individuals may lack the expertise of trained operatives, their unpredictability makes them dangerous.

“The intent to kill remains the same,” he said, adding that these amateur spies are less equipped to handle high-stakes situations, increasing the likelihood of escalation.

He considers himself lucky to have survived, given that he and Dobrokhotov were tracked so extensively. The two journalists, who had assumed Russian agents would monitor them, did not anticipate being watched by EU citizens working as spies.

Their work has included exposing Russian involvement in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020 and former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018. Leaked messages suggest that Russian intelligence operatives viewed Grozev as a key investigator in the Navalny case. One message from Jan Marsalek, who coordinated the spy ring on behalf of Russian intelligence, suggested that while he did not personally see Grozev as a valuable target, Russian President Vladimir Putin “seriously hates him.”

Years of Surveillance Across Europe

From 2020 onward, the spy ring followed Grozev and Dobrokhotov across Europe, surveilling them in hotels, private properties, and even aboard flights. In 2022, operatives reportedly broke into Grozev’s Vienna apartment while his son was inside playing a computer game.

“I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if my son had stepped out of his room during their burglary,” he recounted.

The Convicted Spy Trio

Three individuals—Vanya Gaberova, 30, Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39—were convicted last Friday for conspiracy to spy for Russia. While their day jobs included roles as a beautician, a healthcare worker, and a decorator, they were in fact part of a covert network tasked with espionage and assassinations. Their activities included not just tracking and targeting individuals but also planning abductions and honeytrap operations.

The methods they employed were akin to those “you would expect to see in a spy novel,” said Metropolitan Police Commander Dominic Murphy.

The case highlights Russia’s continued use of espionage tactics on foreign soil and raises concerns about the reach of its intelligence operations within Europe.