Russian Sleeper Agents Exposed in Slovenia Swap

Maria Rosa Mayer Munos and Ludwig Gisch, an Argentine couple living in Slovenia since 2017, were revealed as Russian sleeper agents. Detained in December 2022, they were sentenced to prison but released and deported in a major prisoner swap. Their children only learned of their true nationality during the flight to Moscow.

Maria Rosa Mayer Munos and her husband Ludwig Gisch, an Argentine couple residing in Slovenia since 2017, were unmasked as Russian sleeper agents when Slovenian authorities raided their home last December. The Slovenian Security and Intelligence Agency had been tipped off by a foreign intelligence service, according to Vojko Volk, state secretary in the prime minister's cabinet.

After serving nearly 20 months in custody, the pair, whose real names are Artyom Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, were sentenced to one year and seven months in prison in a secret trial. Having already fulfilled their sentence, the Slovenian court ordered their deportation. On Thursday, the Dultsevs were flown to Moscow in a significant prisoner exchange involving Western nations and Russia.

While Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob acknowledged his country's vital role in the exchange, U.S. President Joseph Biden personally thanked Slovenia for its efforts. High-level discussions had occurred covertly with Russian and U.S. officials over the past year to ensure the successful swap. The Dultsevs' children, unaware of their parents' true identities until the flight to Moscow, were placed in foster care during the detention period.

(With inputs from agencies.)