KATRIN Ivanova is one of three people who have been charged with spying for Russia in Britain, following a major security investigation.
It’s thought the three had been leading ordinary suburban lives for years before their cover was exposed in February 2023.
Bulgarian national Ivanova, along with Orlin Roussev and Bizer Dzhambazov, are charged with possessing identity documents with “improper intention”, according to a BBC report.
These include passports and IDs for UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
She lived with Dzhambazov in Harrow, north-west London.
Neighbours say they lived seemingly ordinary lives with the pair even taking round cakes and pies as gifts.
Dzhambazov is said to have worked as a hospital driver, while Ivanova had a role in the private sector as a laboratory assistant.
The pair also ran a community organisation which provided services for Bulgarians – introducing and helping them understand the “culture and norms of British society”.
The couple are also believed to have worked for electoral commissions in London, which helps Bulgarian nationals living outside the country to vote in its elections.
Details about her life before she came to the UK are unclear.
Ivanova is a Bulgarian national but it is not known exactly where she was born.
Other details about her parents or family are not yet known.
Ivanova and the two men were detained under the Official Secrets Act by counter-terrorism detectives in February and have been remanded in custody since.
The trio are thought to have been working for the Russian security services.
All three have been charged with possessing false identity papers with “improper intention”.
They are due to go on trial at the Old Bailey in January and are yet to enter a formal plea to the charges.
It is not known if Ivanova is married but neighbours of her and Dzhambazov said they were a couple and they lived at the same address in Harrow.
It’s thought they moved to the area 10 years ago, living in a number of properties over the years.
Neighbours said detectives spent a large amount of time searching their current address, with a visible police presence there for more than a week.
