Two Russian deep-cover spies apprehended in Slovenia have pleaded guilty in a swift court case, potentially setting the stage for their inclusion in a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West.
The spies, believed to be Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, were arrested in late 2022. They are thought to be “illegals”—deep-cover operatives trained by Russia to impersonate foreigners and live abroad under false identities for extended periods.
The pair had been posing as Ludwig Gisch and Maria Mayer, an Argentinian couple, and spoke Spanish with their two children. They operated under the guise of an online art gallery owner and an IT business operator while secretly working for Russian intelligence.
The Ljubljana regional court confirmed that the couple pleaded guilty to charges of espionage and document forgery. They were sentenced to over a year and a half in prison, equivalent to time served, and ordered to leave the country, with a five-year ban on returning to Slovenia.
It is believed the duo exploited Slovenia’s position within the Schengen free movement zone to carry out assignments across Europe for Russian intelligence.
According to a source, police found a large amount of cash during a search of an office used by the pair, which took hours to count.
The couple’s children were placed in foster care after their parents’ arrest and continued attending an international school in Ljubljana. Their future is currently uncertain.
Following the hearing, the couple were escorted out of the court by police through a rear entrance, concealing their faces with papers to avoid being photographed.
Last year, a source in Ljubljana with knowledge of the case stated that the couple had refused to cooperate with investigators after their arrest. However, Russian officials privately acknowledged the pair were intelligence officers, and discussions for a possible exchange began.
Slovenian news outlet N1, citing anonymous sources, reported that the two spies might be part of an imminent prisoner exchange. This speculation arises amid reports that several Russian prisoners, including political detainees, have been relocated from their last known locations.
Notably, a German sentenced to death in Belarus, a close ally of Russia, was pardoned by President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday.
Washington and Moscow have been engaged in discreet negotiations for months regarding a potential prisoner swap.
The White House is eager to secure the release of U.S. prisoners held in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was recently sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges—allegations denied by Gershkovich, his employer, and the U.S. government.
Russian authorities have been accused of orchestrating arrests, such as Gershkovich’s, to use as “bargaining chips” in potential exchanges. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly prioritized the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin who killed a Chechen exile in a Berlin park in 2019.
