Australian Federal Police have charged a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian man with attempting to engage in foreign interference, following his arrest in Sumner, Queensland on 20 August. The single charge, laid under section 92.2(1) of the Criminal Code, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
According to the AFP, the man travelled to Russia in October 2024 and completed military-style training. After returning to Australia that December, he allegedly maintained contact with people he believed were linked to Russian intelligence. He then travelled to Ukraine in May 2025 and joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces, where he allegedly gathered information on Ukrainian military personnel, units and locations, and sought to pass it to his Russian contacts.
The case was run by the Counter Foreign Interference Task Force, involving the AFP and ASIO under Operation Woodcreeper. It is the first CFITF charge against a Russian-linked individual since the foreign interference laws were introduced in 2018.
Source: AFP
So What:
This case shows how Russian intelligence collection can reach into a distant, non-aligned country through disaffected members of its immigrant community. It is likely an isolated incident rather than evidence of a wider network operating in Australia. The more useful read is a warning: Russia will still attempt to collect intelligence on the Ukraine war from actors far from the front, and physical distance from the conflict is no barrier to being targeted.
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