Not sure what exactly is happening in Bulgaria but apparently a massive security operation overnight locked down parts of the capital, with reported arrests of people suspected of spying for Russia. The chief prosecutor implicitly confirmed reports via a cryptic tweet.
A press conference by Bulgaria's prosecution going on now: 2 military officers arrested in addition to a former military counter-intelligence officer who allegedly worked on behalf of Russian intelligence to recruit and broaden the intelligence network.
investigators intercepted data gathering tasks given to military officers by the main spy (the former intelligence officer)
The tasks - which were given by GRU - included taking screenshots of PCs at the MoD that had confidential data. Of particular interests were topics related to Syria, Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh. Investigators tracked the data-gathering
Ironically, the spy ring-leader explains how is motivation is purely ideological ("I cried when Stalin died"), but then they immediately switch to discussing monthly payments
Investigators were able to surveil and record one of the officers counting his pay (in USD mind you, not in Rubles, paid in envelopes)...the guy apparently counter the money at his MoD military intelligence work place.
The recruited spies were promised highly encrypted telephones that encrypt even the photographs they take.
During the arrests last night, one of the suspects tried to escape detention, which led to the search-and-capture operation last night. He was arrested.
A total of 6 suspects have been indicted, apparently included the wife of the ring-leader who is a Russian citizen and who - according to prosecutors - maintained the relationship with the Russian "diplomats" at the Sofia RU embassy.
The "tasks" memo is written in broken Bulgarian with frequent Russian prepositions and other words. Tasks included: data from NATO meetings, data from @NATOpress, EU policy to RU, Ukraine & Belarus, names of US, UK, DE contacts & topics of meetings, names of NC(S?)A, CIA and SCS
As several people asked, I had misunderstood the phrase about the ring-leader crying at Stalin's death. His father did, he was 7 then. But he (the ring-leader) says he is now not just pro-Soviet, but pro-Stalin.
The Russians spy-masters were particularly interested in "Those 8% of Poles that are at the core of the Belarus protests"... say what now.
I translated one of the task lists passed on by the spy master to one of the assets: it reads straight out of an 80s spy movie. In red are all the misspelled/misused words (written by Russian native speaker).
P.S. What's with the niece?
And still my favorite is the idiot who counted his spy money in the MOD office - apparently he didn't trust his spy masters didn't cheat him.
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