SYDNEY: Australian police said on Friday (Aug 21) a man has been charged with foreign interference for allegedly seeking to inform Russia about Ukrainian military activities.
The 27-year-old Russian-Australian citizen had “military-style” training in Russia and later joined the Ukrainian armed forces, Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference.
“We don’t want Australia to become a safe haven for people who are undertaking foreign interference on behalf of other countries,” she said.
Police alleged he travelled to Russia for the training in October 2024.
He then returned to Australia, they say, where he “maintained contact” with individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence.
He travelled to Ukraine in 2025, police allege, where he enlisted in the country’s armed forces and “gained access to information relating to their military personnel, units and locations”.
He then “provided, or attempted to provide, information obtained in Ukraine to individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services,” Barrett said.
“It is alleged this conduct created a risk to the safety and security of Ukrainian military personnel.”
The crime of intentional foreign interference carries a penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment in Australia.
