Australia charges dual citizen with passing Ukrainian military intel to Russia
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Australian police charged a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian citizen with foreign interference for allegedly passing Ukrainian military information to individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence. The man was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday. The arrest follows a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
Key Facts
- The suspect travelled to Russia for training in October 2024 and enlisted in the Ukrainian military in May 2025.
- Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the man shared information obtained in Ukraine with individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services.
- The 27-year-old unemployed man was due to appear in Brisbane court on Friday on charges of foreign interference.
- Russia's embassy in Australia said it had received no official requests or notifications from Australian authorities or the individual concerned.
- Russian authorities separately arrested nine people and charged them with working for Ukrainian intelligence, state media reported on Friday.
The Charges
Australian police charged a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian citizen with foreign interference for allegedly passing Ukrainian military information to people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence. The man was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference that the suspect travelled to Russia for training in October 2024 and then returned to Australia while maintaining contact with individuals he believed were linked to Moscow's intelligence services. Police allege the man enlisted in the Ukrainian military in May 2025, where he gained access to information relating to military personnel, units and locations.
Investigation and Response
Barrett said the man shared the information obtained in Ukraine with individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services, putting the safety of Ukrainian military staff at risk. The Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation conducted the joint investigation. ASIO Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness said the case should put regimes perpetrating foreign interference on notice that Australia has zero tolerance. Russia's embassy in Australia said it had no knowledge of the case and had received no official requests or notifications from Australian authorities or the individual concerned.
Parallel Russian Arrests
Russian authorities arrested nine people and charged them with working for Ukrainian intelligence, state media reported on Friday. The TASS media agency said eight of the suspects were found to have 35 drones equipped with explosives smuggled from the European Union and planned to attack a strategic defence enterprise in the Moscow region. Separately, a foreign national was detained close to the Norwegian border.
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Australia charges dual citizen with passing Ukrainian military intel to Russia
