ADF private living in Everton Park in Brisbane’s north charged with espionage
A Brisbane couple have been charged with espionage after allegedly working together to share state secrets to Russia.
Police & Courts
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A Russian-born Brisbane couple have become the first in Australia to be charged with espionage offences after authorities allegedly caught the wife - a private in the Australian Defence Force - trying to pass information back to the Kremlin.
Igor and Kira Korolev were listed to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today after they were arrested as part of a complex investigation involving the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.
If convicted, Igor, a 62-year-old labourer, and Kira, a 40-year-old information systems technician with the ADF, face a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars.
The AFP have alleged that Kira secretly travelled to Russia while on long-term leave from the army and had told her husband how to log onto her work account in order to access information.
He is then alleged to have passed that information to her while she was in Russia.
The married couple, who have been in Australia for more than 10 years, have been charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence.
Mr Korolev appeared unfazed when he appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court barefoot this morning.
The stout Russian sat upright and cracked his knuckles several times as his Legal Aid lawyer Rachael Martin explained there would be no bail application.
Igor nodded and mouthed ok when this was explained to him in Russian by an interpreter appearing by phone.
He wore a green prison jumper and blue track pants with his grey hair buzzcut.
The matter was adjourned to September 20 in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
According to court documents, the couple maintained a relationship with “members or affiliates of the Russian Federation Intelligence services” for the purpose of providing information concerning the “national security of Australia”.
The documents allege Kira unlawfully provided access to Defence computer systems “to persons who have no lawful basis to access those systems”.
Both are accused of accessing, copying, and disseminating information from the Department of Defence computer systems and that information concerned the national security of Australia.
The documents allege the couple did so with the intention of preparing or planning to provide the national security information to Russian intelligence services.
The couple’s offending is alleged to have occurred here in Brisbane and Russia between December 6 2022 and yesterday when they were arrested.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the counter foreign interference taskforce, which includes AFP, ASIO and other Commonwealth partners, had investigated the couple’s activities.
“The AFP will allege the individuals worked together to access ADF material that related to Australia’s national security interests,” he said.
“We allege the woman was undertaking non-declared travel to Russia whilst she was on long-term leave from the ADF.
“We allege that while she was in Russia, she instructed her husband who remained in Australia, on how to log into her official work account from their Brisbane home.
“We allege her husband would access requested material and would send it to his wife in Russia.
“We allege they sought that information with the intention of providing it to Russian authorities.
“Whether that information (was) handed over remains a key focus of our investigation.”
Mr Kershaw said the alleged criminality had been disrupted.
“Currently no significant compromise has been identified,” he said.
“Our Five Eyes partners and the Australian Government can be confident that the robust partnerships within the counter foreign interference taskforce means we will continue to identify and disrupt espionage and foreign interference activity.”
Kira received her Australian citizenship in 2016 and Igor in 2020. The pair is believed to have been living together in a large unit complex in Everton Park, in Brisbane’s north, about 10 minutes’ drive from the ADF’s Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera.
Neighbour, Andrew, who has lived in the complex for about 10 years, said Igor always seemed very friendly and always waved hello.
“In the morning I saw a lot of AFP and then when I tried to go into the building … the police refused me to go in there.
“And then in the evening there were still lights in the apartment, and they were still going on.
“I saw him a few times, he said hello and was friendly, and I’d say hello back to him.
“I’m pretty surprised.”
Andrew said there’s a lot of military people in the complex.
It is understood the couple previously lived in Western Australia and were both listed on WA Police list of registered security officers.
Asked whether the information the woman accessed posed any risk to any ADF personnel, Mr Kershaw said “that does form part of the investigation”.
“At this stage currently, as I said, no significant compromise, however, we’re going to go down every avenue of inquiry,” he said.
Mr Kershaw said the taskforce would investigate if the woman joined the ADF with the specific intention of espionage.
He said the woman had allegedly been “misleading” about her travel and what country she was in.
He said the couple had Russian passports.
ASIO Director General Mike Burgess said the ADF’s “early awareness” of a potential security threat had allowed them to “intervene early and control the operation”.
Asked whether this meant authorities had fed “false information” to the couple, he said he could not go into detail.
“Obviously, you picked up on the key point, once we knew we were able to control this to allow the taskforce to do their investigation and the police to work through what they needed to do,” he said.
Mr Burgess said ASIO took the threat of espionage extremely seriously.
“If you are spying on this country, we are looking for you. If you are being spied on in this country, we are looking out for you,” he said.
“I acknowledge the work of the AFP and the counter foreign interference taskforce as well as the other ASIO teams that undertook a lengthy, patient and complex investigation.
“I also want to commend defence for its security awareness that led to ASIO and the task force to intervene early and control this operation.
“This case reflects and demonstrates an effective security culture, not a deficient one.
“I will make no further comment on this particular case because I appreciate the charges have not been tested in a court and we must respect the presumption of innocence.
“The espionage threat is real. Multiple countries are seeking to steal Australia’s secrets.
“We cannot be naive and we cannot be complacent. Espionage is not some quaint cold war notion.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had been briefed extensively on the operation.
“They have outlined the details. Because the matters are before the courts, I won’t make further comments except to say this: that Australia’s security agencies are doing their job and they’re doing it well.
“People will be held to account who interfere with our national interest and that’s precisely what these arrests represent.
“We live in uncertain times. We know the work that our security agencies do whether it is ASIO or the Australian Signals Directorate working with the AFP or state authorities are on top of this.
“I think we have a great deal of confidence in the fact that our agencies do their job and they do it very well.”
The Australian Defence Force released a statement today about the arrest.
“Defence takes all breaches of security seriously,” the statement said.
“In response to serious allegations, it is general practice to suspend an ADF member from service, including immediately cancelling the member’s access to Defence bases and ICT systems.
“Defence continues to work with the counter foreign interference taskforce.
“As this matter is before the courts and due to personal privacy obligations, Defence will not make further comment.”
At the Brisbane unit complex where the Korolevs own a modern two-bedroom apartment, Tristen McKenzie said police swarmed through on Wednesday night.
“We assumed it was nothing, maybe another break-in, but then woke up the next day and saw a bunch of police,” Mr McKenzie said.
“There were heaps of people walking around with duffel bags and saw police in the garage.”
The unit - on the top floor of a unit block at the back of the complex - had its outdoor blinds drawn on Friday morning.
Two AFP vehicles remained at the scene, but no officers were present.
Tenant Nikki Spalding - who lived directly below the couple’s unit - said she had never seen them.
“It’s pretty scary… the fact I’ve never seen those people,” Ms Spalding said.
“I left for work yesterday morning and noticed there were undercover police all downstairs in the complex.”
Kira Korolev had her matter mentioned briefly in court but did not appear in person.
There was no application for bail and her Legal Aid lawyer asked the matter be adjourned for the prosecution brief to be disclosed.
Barrister Rachael Taylor, acting for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, said the charge was a serious one and asked the matter be adjourned to September 20.
“There may be more information available as to how long the brief is likely to take given the search warrant was only executed yesterday,” she said.
Barrister Dylan Kerr, appearing on behalf of the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, made an urgent application to suppress a number of identities on national security grounds.
“There are only five identities and the Commissioner seeks an application to in effect suppress those identities and parties only,” he said.
“I appreciate this is not a usual occurrence.”
“It happens all the time,” Magistrate Ross Mack quipped.
Mr Mack asked if he had to read the five page outline provided by Mr Kerr.
“It’s not because I’m not interested but it’s one less person who knows about it,” he said.
Mr Kerr said he did because it involved the “exercise of discretion”.
Mr Mack made the suppression order, which was not opposed, saying it was appropriate in the circumstances.
The matter was adjourned to September 20 with Kira to appear via video.
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