Updated by HICGI News Agency at 1224 EAT on Friday 21 August 2026

Australian police have charged a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian citizen with allegedly attempting to pass Ukrainian military information to individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence.

The man is accused of engaging in foreign interference and was due to appear in court in Brisbane on Friday to face the charges.
Police allege the suspect attempted to obtain and transmit sensitive information related to Ukraine’s military activities.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told a news conference that the suspect travelled to Russia for training in October 2024. He later returned to Australia but “maintained contact” with individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence services.

Police allege that 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 the suspect shared information obtained during his time in Ukraine with “individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services”, potentially putting the safety of Ukrainian military personnel at risk.

“We don’t want Australia to become a safe haven for people who are undertaking foreign interference on behalf of other countries,” Barrett said.

The identity of the suspect, who is unemployed, has not been disclosed. Police said there was no indication that he had received military training in Australia.
Investigators have executed search warrants and said further arrests could not be ruled out.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

“This case should put regimes perpetrating foreign interference on notice: we have zero tolerance,” ASIO Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness said.

“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 AFP. “We are currently using the available channels and resources to establish the circumstances of the case.”

Russia Arrests Suspected Ukrainian Operatives

Meanwhile, Russian authorities have arrested nine people and charged them with allegedly working for Ukrainian intelligence, state media reported on Friday.

The TASS news agency reported that eight of the suspects were found in possession of 35 drones equipped with explosives allegedly smuggled from the European Union. The suspects were reportedly planning to use the drones to attack a strategic defence facility in the Moscow region.

Separately, a foreign national was detained near Russia’s border with Norway. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the man, whose nationality was not disclosed, was arrested while allegedly attempting to launch a surveillance drone over Moscow to assist Ukrainian intelligence in planning an attack on the Russian capital.

According to the FSB, the suspect was detained while attempting to flee to Norway on foot.

-Aljazeera

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