Russian-Australian man accused of passing Ukrainian military information to Russian intelligence arrested in Brisbane

A Russian-Australian man could face 20 years imprisonment after being charged with foreign interference for allegedly attempting to provide military information to overseas governments.

The dual citizen, a 27-year-old Victorian man, was arrested on Thursday at Sumner in Brisbane’s southwest.

He has been charged with attempting to engage in foreign interference after allegedly seeking to provide information about Ukrainian military activities to individuals he believed were linked to Russian intelligence services.

Australian Federal Police ( AFP ) said they began Operation Woodcreeper in June 2026, following an extensive investigation by ASIO.

The AFP alleged the man sought to collect and communicate information relating to Ukrainian military personnel, locations and operations for the benefit of the Russian Federation .

The AFP said search warrants were executed at homes at Sumner and Sinnamon Park on Thursday, and a further three search warrants were executed today at properties at Springwood and Petrie Terrace, and on an individual at Saint Lucia.

A number of electronic devices and items relevant to the investigation were seized, which will undergo extensive forensic examinations, the AFP said.

Police said the man had travelled to Russia in October 2024 and undertook military-style training before returning to Australia in December the same year.

They alleged he maintained contact with people he believed were connected to Russian intelligence services after the trip before travelling to Ukraine in May 2025.

Once in Ukraine he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces and gained access to information relating to their military personnel, units and locations.

Police say he attempted to provide information he gathered while in Ukraine to people he believed were acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services.

The man’s actions are alleged to have put at risk the safety and security of Ukrainian military personnel, the AFP said.

“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest there is – or has been – any threat to Australia, however, the investigation is ongoing,” they said.

The man is scheduled to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday to face one count of attempting to engage in intentional foreign interference which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.