Two Bulgarian women who spied for Russia tracked down and named by BBC

Intelligence & EspionageHuman Intelligence (HUMINT)Recruitment of locals

Aggressor

Summary

Two Bulgarian nationals, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia and aided convicted spies in London, have been identified by the BBC on 24 March 2025.

On 24 March 2025, the BBC revealed the identities of two Bulgarian women, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia. They worked with six spies convicted in London. This report names and tracks these individuals, shedding light on ongoing Russian espionage activities involving Bulgaria and the UK. The article includes video footage and interviews related to the espionage cases and provides context on Russia's spy network operations in Europe.

Classification

Confidence: High

The report clearly identifies Russian espionage activities involving Bulgarian nationals spying for Russia and collaborating with convicted spies in London, demonstrating hostile aggressor behavior. There is no mention of defense preparations or allied responses in the article.

Source URL

https://bbc.com/news/articles/cqx0v599wqvo

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Feb 1, 2026, 00:14 UTC
Last updated: Nov 4, 2026, 08:35 UTC
Event time: Mar 24, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "2e6f6342-f39a-43d7-b26d-6e8204f4669c",
  "url": "https://bbc.com/news/articles/cqx0v599wqvo",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Intelligence & Espionage",
  "subcategory": "Human Intelligence (HUMINT)",
  "incident_type": "Recruitment of locals",
  "country": "Bulgaria",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "russian intelligence operations",
    "Bulgarian spies",
    "HUMINT",
    "Spy network",
    "UK convictions",
    "BBC investigation"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 2: 5th Column"
  ],
  "countries": [],
  "where_text": "Land",
  "headline": "Two Bulgarian women who spied for Russia tracked down and named by BBC",
  "description": "Bulgarian nationals Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva were identified by the BBC on 24 March 2025 as individuals who engaged in espionage on behalf of Russia. They collaborated with six other spies convicted in London. The exposé uncovers their role in a Russian spy network, highlighting sustained espionage efforts across Europe. The article presents interviews with the women and accompanying video material that illustrate the operational methods and personal dimensions of these agents. It also discusses the broader implication of Russian espionage in allied countries and counterintelligence challenges faced by the UK and Bulgaria.",
  "summary_short": "Two Bulgarian nationals, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia and aided convicted spies in London, have been identified by the BBC on 24 March 2025.",
  "summary_extended": "On 24 March 2025, the BBC revealed the identities of two Bulgarian women, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia. They worked with six spies convicted in London. This report names and tracks these individuals, shedding light on ongoing Russian espionage activities involving Bulgaria and the UK. The article includes video footage and interviews related to the espionage cases and provides context on Russia's spy network operations in Europe.",
  "actor_primary": "Cvetelina Gencheva",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Bulgaria, London",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": 42.733883,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 25.48583,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The report clearly identifies Russian espionage activities involving Bulgarian nationals spying for Russia and collaborating with convicted spies in London, demonstrating hostile aggressor behavior. There is no mention of defense preparations or allied responses in the article.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-03-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "unknown",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:28.374Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:35:32.139Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "unknown",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "independent_sources"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: HighIndependence confirmedTime: UnknownLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Mar 24, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

unknown

Location

Bulgaria, London

Primary actor

Cvetelina Gencheva

Country

Bulgaria

Tags

russian intelligence operations, Bulgarian spies, HUMINT, Spy network, UK convictions, BBC investigation

Nodes

Node 2: 5th Column

Loading signal...

{ "id": "2e6f6342-f39a-43d7-b26d-6e8204f4669c", "url": "https://bbc.com/news/articles/cqx0v599wqvo", "source": "extension", "status": "approved", "category": "Intelligence & Espionage", "subcategory": "Human Intelligence (HUMINT)", "incident_type": "Recruitment of locals", "country": "Bulgaria", "source_reliability": "C", "info_credibility": "3", "tags": [ "russian intelligence operations", "Bulgarian spies", "HUMINT", "Spy network", "UK convictions", "BBC investigation" ], "nodes": [ "Node 2: 5th Column" ], "countries": [], "where_text": "Land", "headline": "Two Bulgarian women who spied for Russia tracked down and named by BBC", "description": "Bulgarian nationals Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva were identified by the BBC on 24 March 2025 as individuals who engaged in espionage on behalf of Russia. They collaborated with six other spies convicted in London. The exposé uncovers their role in a Russian spy network, highlighting sustained espionage efforts across Europe. The article presents interviews with the women and accompanying video material that illustrate the operational methods and personal dimensions of these agents. It also discusses the broader implication of Russian espionage in allied countries and counterintelligence challenges faced by the UK and Bulgaria.", "summary_short": "Two Bulgarian nationals, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia and aided convicted spies in London, have been identified by the BBC on 24 March 2025.", "summary_extended": "On 24 March 2025, the BBC revealed the identities of two Bulgarian women, Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva, who spied for Russia. They worked with six spies convicted in London. This report names and tracks these individuals, shedding light on ongoing Russian espionage activities involving Bulgaria and the UK. The article includes video footage and interviews related to the espionage cases and provides context on Russia's spy network operations in Europe.", "actor_primary": "Cvetelina Gencheva", "target_primary": null, "location_text": "Bulgaria, London", "location_region": null, "location_coordinates_lat": 42.733883, "location_coordinates_lon": 25.48583, "location_precision": "Regional", "is_aggressor_signal": true, "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL", "is_hybrid_war_signal": true, "classification_complete": true, "hybrid_signal_complete": true, "classification_confidence": "High", "classification_rationale": "The report clearly identifies Russian espionage activities involving Bulgarian nationals spying for Russia and collaborating with convicted spies in London, demonstrating hostile aggressor behavior. There is no mention of defense preparations or allied responses in the article.", "event_time_utc": "2025-03-24T00:00:00.000Z", "end_time_utc": null, "event_time_confidence": "unknown", "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:28.374Z", "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:35:32.139Z", "reliability_band": "strong", "location_precision_band": "regional", "time_precision_band": "unknown", "severity_band": "moderate", "attribution_confidence_band": "high", "attribution_basis": "independent_sources" }