Australia charges man with trying to pass Ukraine military intel to Russia

Australian police charged a man with foreign interference on Friday for allegedly seeking to pass intelligence about Ukrainian military activities to Russia.

The 27-year-old Russian-Australian citizen underwent "military-style" training in Russia and later joined the Ukrainian armed forces, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference.

Police allege he travelled to Russia for the training in October 2024 before returning to Australia, where he "maintained contact" with individuals he believed were linked to Moscow's intelligence services.

He travelled in 2025 to Ukraine, where he enlisted in the country's armed forces and "gained access to information relating to their military personnel, units and locations", police allege.

Barrett said he then "provided, or attempted to provide, information obtained in Ukraine to individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services".

"It is alleged this conduct created a risk to the safety and security of Ukrainian military personnel," she said.

"We don't want Australia to become a safe haven for people who are undertaking foreign interference on behalf of other countries," Barrett said.

Police said there was no indication he had received military training in Australia.

The man has not been identified and was unemployed, Barrett said.

A number of search warrants have been executed and it is a "possibility" there could be further arrests related to the case, she said.

The investigation was conducted by federal police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) spy agency.

"This case should put regimes perpetrating foreign interference on notice: we have zero tolerance," ASIO Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness said.

The man was scheduled to face charges at a court hearing in Brisbane on Friday.

In an email to AFP, Russia's embassy in Canberra said it had learned of the case through media reports.

"At this stage, no official requests or notifications have been received by the Embassy or the Consulate General in Sydney, either from the Australian authorities or from the individual concerned," the embassy said.

"We are currently using the available channels and resources to establish the circumstances of the case."

It marks the eighth charging of an individual with crimes related to spying and foreign interference in Australia.

The crime of intentional foreign interference carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment in Australia.

Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess singled out Russia last year as an "aggressive espionage threat" to the country.

In 2024, Australian police charged a married Russian-born couple with spying for Moscow, accusing them of accessing national security-related material from the military.

The 40-year-old woman, Kira Korolev, and her 62-year-old husband Igor -- both holders of Russian passports -- had lived in Australia for more than 10 years and had obtained citizenship, the authorities said.