The Facts
The BBC has revealed that three Bulgarian nationals have been arrested and charged for possessing identity documents with "improper intention," having been held in custody since February — reportedly on suspicion of being spies for Russia.
The three alleged spies are named Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova. While five were initially detained in February, only three have been charged.
The Spin
Narrative A
Following last year's mass exodus of Russian intelligence influence out of Europe, Moscow is attempting to aggressively rebuild its network in the West. European agencies continue to respond to this threat and are keeping their guard up as tensions with Russia remain at their highest since the end of the Cold War.
Narrative B
It's unknown whether the West is getting better at detecting Russian spies, or whether Russia is simply spying more. Despite recent European success, it's agreed that the Kremlin still poses a larger intelligence threat than any other country. It still remains a legitimate possibility that Western knowledge of Russia's spy network is merely the tip of an extensive, and effective, iceberg.
