Russia's attempt to build a new embassy near Australia's parliament suffered a legal blow when the Supreme Court upheld the government's seizure of the land after a Russian diplomat left it in Canberra, June 26, 2023.
Yoann Camberfort | AFP | Getty Images
Russia has accused Australia of fomenting “anti-Russian paranoia” by charging a Russian-born couple with espionage, prompting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to tell Moscow on Saturday to “stand back”.
The Australian Federal Police said on Friday that the married couple, who hold Australian citizenship, were arrested on suspicion of trying to obtain material related to Australia's national security, but no major compromise was found.
The Russian Embassy in Canberra, the capital, said in a statement to Russian RIA countries: “There are widespread reports that Kira Korolev and Igor Korolev, a couple with Russian and Australian nationalities, are in Burkina Faso. Risban was arrested on charges of attempting to spy for Russia.
“The purpose of this campaign is clear – to stir up a new wave of anti-Russian paranoia here and distract Australians from the numerous failures of the governing Labor Party's policies,” the embassy said.
Albanese told reporters on Saturday that Russia needed to “stop interfering in the internal affairs of other sovereign countries.”
“Russia has access to information, stand back. Russia is engaged in espionage here and around the world,” Albanese said in Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, according to a transcript.
Australia, one of Ukraine's largest non-NATO donors since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, announced a A$250 million ($170 million) military aid package to Kyiv at a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday.
The embassy asked Australian authorities to provide written information about the couple's situation and was considering “appropriate consular assistance measures,” the ABC reported on Saturday.
The embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Court documents show the Korolevs appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday charged with one count of preparation for espionage, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charges are the first brought under a law issued in 2018.
According to media reports, they did not apply for bail and were remanded in custody until their next court appearance on September 20.
Police said the 40-year-old wife, an information systems technician with the Australian Army, traveled to Russia and instructed her husband in Australia to log into her official account to obtain defense materials.
Canberra has been supplying defense equipment to Kiev, banned exports of aluminum ore to Russia and imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 Russian individuals and entities.