Two Russians Sentenced in Angola Over Alleged Wagner-Linked Influence Operation — 11 and 8 Years

Luanda, Angola: A court in Angola's capital has convicted two Russian nationals of terrorism and espionage and sentenced them to lengthy prison terms, in a case Angolan authorities say involved a wider political influence operation tied to a group they call Africa Politology.

The verdict and sentences: Political consultant Igor Ratchin was sentenced to 11 years in prison and translator Lev Lakshtanov to eight years. The court found the men guilty on four of 11 counts, including criminal association, espionage, terrorism and illegal retention of currency. Both defendants denied the charges.

Allegations and evidence

Prosecutors say Ratchin and Lakshtanov were part of an influence operation linked to Africa Politology, described by Angolan authorities as a Russian political network that emerged from the now-defunct Wagner mercenary group. Authorities allege the operation promoted anti-Western narratives, cultivated political contacts and sought to influence the presidential election scheduled for next year.

As part of their case, prosecutors presented alleged evidence including publications tied to the operation, notes and photographs related to the 2025 protests recovered from the defendants' devices, and reported contacts with senior Angolan political figures. Prosecutors also alleged the Russians paid local journalists and experts more than $24,000 to publish pro-Russian, anti-government material linked to unrest in 2025.

Defence response and disputed points

Both Ratchin and Lakshtanov deny connections to Wagner or the Russian state. They say their work in Angola focused on plans to establish a Russian cultural centre in Luanda. Their lawyer, Elizeu Nguiniti, said he disagreed with the verdict but indicated he accepted the court's decision and declined further comment to the BBC.

[Getty Images/BBC]

Defence lawyers repeatedly challenged the indictment, arguing it relied on assumptions rather than concrete evidence. The BBC identified misspellings and apparent factual errors in the indictment and sought clarification from prosecutors but received no response.

Other defendants and procedural issues

Two Angolan nationals — sports journalist Amor Carlos Tomé and political activist Francisco Oliveira — were also tried on related charges. Tomé received a two-year suspended sentence and Oliveira was acquitted. Prosecutors immediately lodged an appeal against the Russian convictions, and Tomé is expected to remain in custody while the appeal proceeds.

The trial was marked by controversy from the start. In an early hearing, the prosecutor declined to read the indictment aloud, saying the defendants were already aware of the charges; the defence objected, arguing the public had a right to hear the accusations. The court also rejected a defence request to call several political figures as witnesses, saying their testimony was "not necessary" to establish the facts.

Context

Prosecutors pointed to Wagner-linked operatives' activities across Africa in recent years — notably in the Central African Republic, Mali and Madagascar — to contextualise their allegations. Many Angolan activists and observers, however, dispute the prosecutors' contention that the 2025 protests were not organic.

The BBC contacted the Russian embassy in Angola for comment but had received no response by the time of publication. Additional reporting for this article was provided by Ilya Barabanov and the BBC Russian Investigations Team.