Russia-born couple arrested in Australia on espionage charges

An Australian Army private and her husband were arrested in Brisbane Thursday for allegedly trying to access information related to Australian national security interests and hand it over to Russia.

According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), 40-year-old Kira Korolev and 62-year-old Igor Korolev, a self-employed laborer, were born in Russia but held Australian citizenship. They were arrested at their home and charged with preparing for an espionage offense. If found guilty, the couple could face up to 15 years in prison

“As the investigation is ongoing, further charges could be laid at a later date,” the AFP said. If a direct link to a foreign state is found, penalties could increase to 25 years to life in jail.

The suspects attracted the attention of authorities when Ms. Korolev — who was an information systems technician in the Australian Army — took trips to Russia and attempted to access her work laptop while on long-term leave. 

As an Australian Defense Force private, she was required to report any overseas travel. Some of Ms. Korolev's declarations were "misleading," including "where she was allegedly at and in what country," ABC News reported, citing Australia’s police commissioner Reece Kershaw.

She also reportedly traveled to Russia after it invaded Ukraine — a time when Australia warned its citizens against doing so.

The AFP alleged that while Mr. Korolev remained in Australia, his wife instructed him on how to log into her official work account and guided him to access sensitive defense information to send directly to her private email account while she was in Russia, likely with the intent to provide it to Russian authorities.

“Whether that information was provided to Russian authorities remains under investigation as does the conduct of the pair while overseas,” the AFP said.

The police assured that the operation against the Korolev couple poses “no ongoing threat to the public.”

The Russian embassy in Canberra did not respond to a request for comment.

“Espionage is not a victimless crime. It has the potential to impact Australia’s sovereignty, safety, and way of life,” Kershaw said in a statement.

“Espionage damages our economy and degrades our strategic advantage. It can have catastrophic real-world consequences,” said Mike Burgess, director general at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

“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,” he added.

In 2023, Australia reportedly expelled a large Russian spy ring whose members were posing as diplomats. The spy ring consisted of purported embassy and consular staff as well as other operatives using deep-cover identities, local media reported, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the operation.

Australia’s domestic spy agency removed the alleged spies from the country, “privately and professionally,” according to the report by the Associated Press.