Australia accuses Russian-born couple of espionage
Kira Korolev, a 40-year-old private in the Australian army, and her 62-year-old husband, Igor Korolev, appeared in court Friday.
They have both been charged with one count of preparing for an espionage offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.
It is the first time this type of charge has been brought since foreign interference laws were enacted in Australia in 2018.
Investigators allege that Kira, an army information systems technician, traveled to Russia and that while there, she instructed her husband how to access material from her official work account with the intention of providing it to Russian intelligence officials.
Mike Burgess, the head of ASIO, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the national security agency told reporters in Canberra Friday that spying is a serious crime.
“Espionage was not some quaint Cold War notion," he said. "Espionage damages our economy and degrades our strategic advantage. It has catastrophic real-world consequences. Foreign intelligence services are capable, determined and patient. They play the long game. The problem for them is ASIO does, too.”
It is unclear whether the two defendants passed on any documents to Russian intelligence or anyone else, or the nature of the information they are accused of trying to pass on. Australia police said that "no significant compromise" of military secrets had been identified.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Canberra Friday that spies will be tracked down.
“Australia’s security agencies are doing their job and they are doing it well. People will be held to account who interfere with our national interests and that is precisely what these arrests represent.”
Authorities say Kira Korolev was employed by the army for several years and held a security clearance within the military. She became an Australian citizen in 2016.
She and her husband did not apply for bail and have been remanded into custody. A magistrate in Queensland state has adjourned the case until September 20.
The Australian Federal Police, which is leading the investigation, said Australia’s Five Eyes security alliance partners, the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Canada, could be confident that Australia would “continue to identify and disrupt espionage and foreign interference activity.”