Army private, husband ‘spied for Russia’

Australia’s spy agency ASIO and the AFP have announced two Australians with Russian passports have been charged with espionage related offences that involve allegations of stealing defence secrets to share with Russia.

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said the case involved two people who had been in Australia for more than 10 years.

The woman had obtained Australian citizenship in 2016 and her husband obtained Australian citizenship in 2020.

She has been employed in the Australian army, in the Australian Defence Force for several years as an information systems technician.

“Police will the woman’s husband would access requested material and would send to his wife in Russia,’’ the AFP commissioner said

“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.

“There are a couple of critical points that I want to make today. This alleged criminality has been disrupted. Currently, no significant compromise has been identified.

“Our Five Eyes partners and the Australian Government can be confident that the robust partnerships within the counter foreign interference task force mean we will continue to identify and disrupt espionage and foreign interference activity. I want to thank the very clever members of the AFP, ASIO and those individuals in the task force for their ingenuity and determination.”

ASIO Director-General of ASIO Mike Burgess said the developments were a warning to foreign spies targeting Australia.

“ASIO is Australia’s spy catcher. It is a responsibility we take extremely seriously,’’ Mr Burgess said.

“If you are spying in this country, we are looking for you. If you are being spied on in this country, we are looking out for you. I acknowledge the work of the Australian Federal Police and the Counter-foreign interference task force and the ASIO teams that undertook a lengthy, patient and complex investigation.

“I 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.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.

“I will make four general points about the threats facing Australia and ASIO’s work to counter them. First, 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 notion, espionage damages our economy and degrades our strategic advantage. It has catastrophic real world consequences. The ASIO Act makes our responsibilities clear. If you are conducting espionage in this country, we will detect you and we will deal with you. Normally, that is through intelligence-led disruptions, but when we can support a prosecution,we will support a prosecution. Third, security is a shared responsibility. The scale and sophistication of this threat facing Australia requires and demands individuals, governments and industries to take security seriously. Fourth and finally, I want to speak directly to the operatives of Russian intelligence services.

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Petrov defections. Two Russian spies gave ASIO and our closest allies the name of Russian assets in western countries. If you want to share your secrets, please reach out. ASIO is always listening.”

— more to come