Questions are being asked about army recruiting processes after two Russian-born Australians were arrested and charged with espionage offences, one of them an Australian soldier with access to classified files.
Kira Korolev, 40, and her husband Igor, 62, became the first people charged under a 2018 Australian national security law after they were arrested over an alleged spying scheme targeting the Defence Department.
The spying could be related to Australia’s support for Ukraine or secrets passed on by the US under the AUKUS agreement, which involves Australia obtaining nuclear submarines.
Police allege Kira Korolev, an ADF army private who worked in signals, visited Russia while on long-term leave in 2023 and coached her husband into accessing defence information through her computer.
Investigations into whether information was passed on are ongoing, with the prospect of charges being upgraded from preparing for espionage to an outright espionage offence.
Questions are arising over the adequacy of defence recruiting methods following the arrests.
It also comes after the federal government announced in June it would begin allowing citizens and permanent residents from New Zealand, the UK, the US, Canada and the Pacific Islands to join the Australian military.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday rejected suggestions recruitment vetting processes are too relaxed.
“(The arrests) prove … authorities are doing their job, and I have every faith in our national security agencies like I have every faith in our Australian Defence Force,” he said.
“Defence are constantly monitoring their methods and constantly making improvements.”
The force takes security breaches seriously and has suspended the accused soldier from service, cancelling her access to defence bases and computer systems while it works with the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, a defence spokeswoman said.
With the US set to share highly sensitive nuclear information with Australia for the AUKUS submarine deal, the prime minister brushed aside any suggestions the alleged espionage attempt damaged Australia’s standing.
“Our allies that we work very closely with, particularly our Five Eyes partners, will take comfort in the fact that we have caught these people,” he said.
Russian officials on Saturday accused Australia of stoking “anti-Russian paranoia” over the arrests, but Mr Albanese told Moscow to “back off”, declaring it had no credibility.
The accused married couple arrived in Australia about 10 years ago before becoming citizens some years later.
Police are investigating whether their alleged links to Russia predate their arrival or they were turned after arriving in Australia.
The two, who retain Russian passports, remain in police custody after neither applied for bail at a Brisbane court on Friday.
