A court in Luanda has found two Russians guilty of terrorism and espionage, jailing political consultant Igor Ratchin for 11 years and translator Lev Lakshtanov for eight, after the pair were arrested last August over accusations of stirring anti-government protests and attempting to interfere in Angola's 2027 presidential election. The case centres on an alleged influence operation linked to Africa Politology, a network Angolan authorities say emerged from the now-defunct Wagner mercenary group, though the defendants denied any Wagner or Russian state ties and said they were merely planning a Russian cultural centre in Luanda.

Prosecutors alleged the Russians paid local journalists and experts more than $24,000 (£18,000) to spread pro-Russian, anti-government content aimed at fomenting political change, and cited devices containing protest-related notes and photographs plus contacts with senior political figures as evidence. Two Angolans tried alongside them, journalist Amor Carlos Tomé and activist Francisco Oliveira, received a suspended two-year sentence and an acquittal respectively; prosecutors have already lodged an appeal against the verdicts, and the defence lawyer said he disagreed with the ruling but accepted the court's decision.