Written By Lisa Murimi
An Australian soldier and her husband have been arrested and charged with spying for Russia. Investigators allege that the couple, both Russian-born Australian citizens, obtained Australian Defence Force (ADF) material to share with Moscow.
Despite the charges, Australian police report that “no significant compromise” of military secrets has been identified.
This marks the first use of Australia’s stricter foreign interference laws, introduced in 2018, to lay espionage charges. Kira Korolev, a 40-year-old army private, and her 62-year-old husband Igor Korolev appeared in Brisbane court on Friday, each facing one count of preparing for an espionage offense, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated he had been “extensively briefed” by security agencies but refrained from commenting further as the case is before the courts. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed that the Korolevs had lived in Australia for over a decade and gained citizenship several years ago. Kira, an information systems technician with security clearance in the army, allegedly traveled to Russia while on leave, instructing Igor to access and send sensitive material from her work account to Russian authorities.
The investigation is ongoing, and charges could be upgraded. Both Kershaw and Australia’s spy agency chief, Mike Burgess, emphasized the persistent threat of espionage, with Burgess stating, “We cannot be naive, and we cannot be complacent.”
