Australia charges man for passing Ukrainian military intel to Russia

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkUkrainian servicemen of the 88th Separate Marine Battalion of the 35th Separate Marine Brigade attend military exercises at a training ground, amid Russia's war on Ukraine, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on February 24, 2025 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and ReutersPublished On 21 Aug 202621 Aug 2026Australian police have charged a dual Russian-Australian citizen for trying to pass Ukrainian military information to people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence.The 27-year-old man was due ⁠to appear in court in Brisbane on Friday on charges of foreign interference.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Russia’s FSB orders British diplomat’s expulsion, UK rejects ‘intimidation’list 2 of 3Germany arrests Kazakhstan citizen accused of spying for Russialist 3 of 3EU sanctions nine people over alleged Russian cyber-spying campaignend of listAustralian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference that the suspect travelled to Russia for training in October 2024. He then returned to Australia but “maintained contact” with individuals he believed were linked to Moscow’s intelligence services.The police allege the man enlisted in the Ukrainian military in May 2025, ‌where he “gained access to information relating to their military personnel, units and locations”.Barrett said he 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.“We don’t want Australia to become a safe haven for people who are undertaking foreign interference on behalf of other countries,” the commissioner said.The identity of the suspect, who is unemployed, has not been revealed. Police said there was no indication he had received military training in Australia. Search warrants have been executed, they added, noting the possibility of further arrests related to the case.Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation spy agency conducted the investigation.“This case should put regimes perpetrating foreign interference on notice: we have zero tolerance,” ASIO Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness said.Russia’s embassy in Australia said it had no knowledge of the case.“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 in an email to the AFP news agency. “We are currently using the available channels and resources to establish the circumstances of the case.”Russia arrests Ukrainian operativesMeanwhile, Russian authorities have 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. The FSB security service said that the man – whose nationality it did not reveal – had been arrested for trying to launch a surveillance drone over Moscow to help Ukrainian intelligence plot an attack on the Russian capital.The FSB said it had detained the individual as he was trying to flee to Norway on foot.