Australian Authorities Charge Russian Dual Citizen for Stealing Ukrainian Intel

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prior a Coalition of the Willing meeting with European leaders in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24, 2026. Leon Neal/Getty ImagesA dual Russian-Australian citizen has been arrested for allegedly spying for Russia.The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) allege the 27-year-old sought to provide information about Ukrainian military operations to people he thought were connected to Russian intelligence services.He has been charged with one count of attempting to engage in foreign interference, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.The man is from Victoria but was arrested on Aug. 20 in Sumner in Brisbane’s west, following an investigation by the Counter Foreign Interference Task Force (CFITF) which began in June.Police executed search warrants across five separate addresses in the city’s suburbs and seized several electronic devices.They claim the man tried to gather and disseminate information about Ukrainian military personnel, locations, and operations for the Russian Federation.They say he travelled to Russia in October 2024, where he undertook military-style training, then returned to Australia in December that year but remained in contact with people he believed were connected to Russian intelligence.In May 2025, he travelled to Ukraine, where he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces and gained access to information about that country’s military personnel, units, and locations.He later gave, or tried to give, that information to people he believed were working for Russian intelligence services, which Federal Police and ASIO say created a risk to the safety of Ukrainian military personnel.Parts of the offence occurred both offshore and while the man was in Australia. Although the investigation is still ongoing, there is currently no indication that there is any threat to Australia.Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says this is the first time a Russian-linked person has been specifically charged with attempting to engage in foreign interference since the laws were introduced in 2018. So far, the three cases involving arrests and charges involve those acting at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party.“Foreign interference is an insidious crime and has a bigger impact on Australia than many people realise,” Barrett said.“Offenders who engage in these crimes can leave our nation vulnerable to security threats. Global conflicts continue to impact the security environment in Australia, and it requires skilled investigators to look deeper to identify how subterranean the crime is and who is really responsible.”Previous Arrest of Alleged Russian SpiesIn July 2024, authorities arrested and charged a Russian-born Brisbane-based couple, Igor and Kira Korolev, who were allegedly working to obtain sensitive defence information.Kira Korolev was a private in the army.They have since been charged with conspiracy to commit espionage after prosecutors applied to withdraw an earlier, less serious charge of preparing for an espionage offence. They remain in custody as the AFP seeks to confiscate their bank accounts and apartment under proceeds of crime laws.