Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC detailed how the trio undertook sophisticated surveillance operations, creating false identities and using advanced technology to surveil targets, including journalists and political dissidents.
The spy ring's targets included a journalist related to the 2018 Salisbury Novichok attack and prominent dissidents who had fled Russia, indicating a deep-seated interest by the Russian state.
Morgan stated that the ring's operations, focused on following people and gathering intelligence on their movements, posed a significant threat to the safety and interests of the UK.
Two other members of the group have already pleaded guilty to espionage charges, while the three on trial have denied conspired actions related to spying, which ran from August 2020 to February 2023.
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