Australia charges man for passing Ukrainian military intel to Russia

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters.

Key points

• Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett informed a news conference that the suspect travelled to Russia for training in October 2024.
• 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".
• Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation spy agency conducted the investigation.
• Australian police have charged a dual Russian-Australian citizen for trying to pass Ukrainian military information to individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence.
• "This case should put regimes perpetrating foreign interference on notice: we have zero tolerance, " ASIO Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness remarked.

In practice, the 27-year-old man was due ⁠to appear in court in Brisbane on Friday on charges of foreign interference.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett informed 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.

Meanwhile, 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 remarked 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 remarked.

In practice, the identity of the suspect. This person is unemployed, has not been made public. Police remarked there was no indication he had received military training in Australia. Search warrants have been executed, they continued, noting the possibility of further arrests related to the case.

Russia's embassy in Australia remarked 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 remarked in an email to the AFP news agency. "We are currently using the available channels and resources to establish the circumstances of the case."

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

For context, the TASS media agency remarked eight of the suspects were identified 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. According to The FSB security service, the man – whose nationality it did not reveal – had been arrested for trying to launch a surveillance drone over Moscow to assist Ukrainian intelligence plot an attack on the Russian capital.

Meanwhile, the FSB remarked it had detained the individual as he was trying to flee to Norway on foot.

In short, australia charges man for passing Ukrainian military intel to Russia is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.