A 27-year-old man with Russian and Australian citizenship underwent “military-style” training in Russia and later joined the Ukrainian armed forces, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said at a press conference.
“We do not want Australia to become a safe haven for people conducting foreign interference on behalf of other countries,” she said.
The police say he left for Russia in October 2024 to train.
Then, according to officials, he returned to Australia where he “maintained contact” with individuals he believed were connected to Russian intelligence.
According to the police, in 2025 he went to Ukraine, joined the country’s armed forces, and “gained access to information about their military personnel, units, and deployment locations.”
He then “transmitted or attempted to transmit information obtained in Ukraine to individuals he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services,” Barrett said.
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