In a recent development in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a Russian couple has been sentenced to 19 months in prison each on spying charges. The husband and wife, who were posing as Argentine citizens, were found guilty of espionage and using fake documents to register their firms. Despite the sentence, they were released on time served and have been ordered to leave the country. Additionally, they have been banned from returning to Slovenia for a period of five years.
The couple, known by their aliases Ludwig Gisch and Maria Rosa Mayer Muños, had been residing in Slovenia since 2017. The husband was running a startup IT company while the wife operated an online art gallery. Their true identities have been revealed as Artem Viktorovich Dultsev and Anna Valerevna Dultseva, as per media reports.
It has been reported that the couple used Ljubljana as a base to travel to neighboring NATO and EU member states, where they allegedly relayed orders from Moscow and provided financial support to other Russian sleeper agents. The pair was apprehended in 2022.
Local media sources have indicated that the couple were affiliated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), an agency known for recruiting spies who masquerade as ordinary citizens in Western nations. The couple's two children were enrolled in an international school in Ljubljana, further complicating the situation.
Given the sensitive nature of the case, the trial was not open to the public, and details emerged only after the sentencing. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges posed by espionage activities and the need for vigilance in safeguarding national security.
