Russian-Australian to appear in court charged with spying on Ukraine military

By Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY, ‌Aug 21 (Reuters) - ​A ​dual Russian-Australian citizen is set to appear in court on Friday after being charged with ‌foreign interference, for trying to give Ukrainian military ⁠information to people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence.

The ‌27-year-old, who will face ‌a judge in the northern city of Brisbane, is accused by Australian federal police of having joined ​the Ukrainian armed forces in May 2025 and sharing information he obtained there.

• If proved, the ⁠charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment. The man could not ​be reached for comment.

• A spokesperson for Russia's embassy in Canberra said it first ​learnt of the case from ‌media reports, and received no official communications from either the Australian authorities or the ⁠suspect.

• He is accused of travelling to Russia in October 2024 for military-style training, before returning to Australia that ⁠December. He then joined the Ukrainian armed forces.

• Authorities said there ​is nothing to suggest a current threat to Australia, though their investigation continues.

• "Foreign interference is an insidious crime and has ‌a bigger impact on Australia than many people realise," AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said ‌in a statement.

• Since 2020, an Australian task force ⁠has charged eight people ‌with offences of ​espionage or foreign interference.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence ‌Fernandez)

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