 [Stars&Stripes] STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. European Command headquarters was among the targets of a spy ring accused of passing information to Russia over a three-year span, according to British prosecutors trying three Bulgarian defendants. EUCOM’s Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, where Ukrainian troops have spent time with U.S. forces, was surveilled along with various other sensitive locations around Europe, prosecutors said Thursday. Katrin Ivanova, 33; Vanya Gaberova, 30; and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, are also accused of carrying out espionage in England, Austria, Spain and Montenegro, British newspaper The Independent reported. All three are based in the U.K. and deny the spying accusations.
"They sought to gather information for the benefit of Russia ... about various targets, both people and physical locations, information of particular interest to the Russian state," prosecutor Alison Morgan said in opening statements Thursday, according to the newspaper. Morgan told jurors at London’s Old Bailey that a five-person team of Bulgarians directed by an Austrian agent for Russia had carried out six significant operations, including one to spy on Patch Barracks in late 2022, Reuters reported. Charles Prichard, a spokesman for EUCOM, said Friday that the command is following developments in the case but directed questions about the proceedings to British authorities.
"As for the type of activities alleged in the case, for operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures. We continue to remain vigilant and take appropriate actions — including training — to ensure the safety and security of our people," Prichard said.
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