Australian police charge man accused of attempting to share Ukrainian military intel with Russian agents

Australian police have charged a 27-year-old man of dual Russian-Australian citizenship with attempting to share Ukrainian military intelligence with what were suspected to be Russian agents. Vladimir Teslov appeared in court on Friday after being charged with an attempted foreign interference offence, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Police allege that Teslov travelled to Russia in October 2024 to undergo military-style training and later returned to Australia where he maintained contact with individuals connected to Russian intelligence services. In May 2024, Teslov allegedly joined the Ukrainian military and accessed sensitive information about their personnel, units and locations.

The Australian Federal Police's Commissioner, Krissy Barrett, stated that the investigation, codenamed Operation Woodcreeper, began in June this year. Teslov is alleged to have shared this information both in Australia and overseas, posing a risk to the safety and security of Ukrainian military personnel. Police arrested him on Thursday, conducting searches at multiple properties in Brisbane and seizing several devices.

Teslov, who was unemployed, lived in Victoria and was not known to have received military training in Australia or worked for any government agency. The investigation is ongoing, with Barrett stating that there is no known connection between Teslov and the Brisbane-based Russian couple Kira and Igor Korolev, who were previously charged with espionage offences in 2024.

Barrett did not confirm how long Teslov had lived in Australia and whether he was part of a broader network. The AFP has been working with domestic and international partners in the investigation, but it remains to be seen whether Ukraine will pursue prosecutions. This is the eighth time foreign interference charges have been laid in Australia, but the first time it involved an alleged offender connected to Russia.

Russian Ambassador to Australia, Alexander Romodanovsky, said the case was learned of through media reports and that no official requests or notifications had been received by the Russian embassy.