Two citizens of Russia who have been accused of espionage have been barred by Bulgaria from entering the territory of the European Union until 2029.
According to the Bulgarian Agency for National Security, the two individuals in question, who are a couple and identified as Vladimir Nikolayevich Gorochkin, 39, and Tatiana Anatolievna Gorochkina, 37, were operating as legal spies of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Considering the security risks that these two individuals pose not only to Bulgaria but to the other EU member states, too, the Bulgarian authorities have decided to ban them from entering the bloc for a period of five years.
A ban on entry and residence in the territory of the member states of the European Union was imposed for a period of five years.
In an official statement, the Agency said that the two citizens of Russia were living in the country under fake identities, presenting themselves as Bulgarian citizens under the names Denis Rashkov and Diana Rashkova. They also held documents associated with these identities.
The same confirmed that Gorochkin and Gorochkina are suspected illegal intelligence operatives who have been participating in operations conducted by the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.
The main purpose of the presence of Vladimir Gorochkin and Tatyana Gorochkina in our country was to obtain the necessary Bulgarian identity documents and credible biographical data, confirming the authenticity of the same, which they would later use to carry out intelligence activities outside the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Does Not Indicate Whereabouts of 2 Banned Russians
While the Bulgarian Agency for National Security confirmed that the two individuals are no longer in the territory of Bulgaria, it did not reveal for how long they had been residing in the country.
The Bulgarian authorities did not also disclose if they are aware of their current whereabouts.
Russia has been consistently accused of trying to destabilise the bloc and carrying out activities that put the security of the EU countries at risk.
The country also continues to be subject to harsh restrictions for the war in Ukraine. With the EU on Ukraine’s side, several sanctions have been imposed on Russia.
So far, the restrictive measures apply to a total of 1,718 Russian individuals and 419 entities who are responsible for threatening the independence of Ukraine.
Persons who are part of the sanction list are banned from entering EU territory. Moreover, individuals and entities on the sanction list are subject to an asset freeze.
