Australian soldier and her husband have been arrested and charged with espionage for allegedly spying for Russia. The couple, both Russian-born Australian citizens, are accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force (ADF) material to share with Moscow.
Despite the serious nature of the charges, Australian police have stated that “no significant compromise” of military secrets has been identified. This marks the first time Australia’s stricter foreign interference laws, introduced in 2018, have been used to lay espionage charges
Kira Korolev, a 40-year-old army private, and her 62-year-old husband Igor Korolev, faced court in Brisbane on Friday. Each is charged with one count of preparing for an espionage offense, carrying a maximum 15-year jail sentence.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed he had been “briefed extensively” by security agencies but refrained from commenting on the case directly as it is now before the courts.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed that the couple had lived in Australia for over a decade before the alleged offenses and had become citizens several years ago. Igor worked as a self-employed laborer, while Kira served as an information systems technician in the army, a role requiring security clearance.
Mr. Kershaw alleged that Kira secretly traveled to Russia while on leave from the ADF. During this time, she allegedly instructed Igor to access her work account and send sensitive material, which she then forwarded to Russian authorities. The investigation is ongoing to determine if any material was successfully delivered to Russia, and the charges may be upgraded.
Both Mr. Kershaw and Australia’s spy agency head, Mike Burgess, addressed the media on Friday but declined to provide details about the nature of the documents or how authorities were alerted to the alleged crimes. However, Mr. Burgess emphasized that the threat of espionage remains “real” and that multiple countries are attempting to steal Australia’s secrets.
“We cannot be naive, and we cannot be complacent,” Mr. Burgess warned. “If you are spying in this country, we are looking for you. If you are being spied on in this country, we are looking out for you.”
Mr. Kershaw assured that Australia’s allies could be “confident” in the country’s ability to “identify and disrupt espionage and foreign interference activity.”
In a statement, the ADF acknowledged the arrest of one of its members and reiterated its commitment to taking “all breaches of security seriously.”
