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One of the two Russians accused of attempting to leak military secrets to Moscow told his work colleagues he'd been in Russian special forces, Nine News can reveal.
Husband and wife Igor and Kira Korolev have been charged with espionage offences after being arrested on July 11 at their home in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park after a joint ASIO-AFP operation.
Police allege the couple was working to obtain sensitive information from the Australian Defence Force.
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Kira Korolev, 40, joined the Australian Army seven years ago and became an information systems technician. Nine News understands she was a private in the 7th Combat Signal Regiment, which has expertise in encrypted communications.
She is accused of taking non-declared travel to Russia with and without Igor since 2023 while on long-term leave from Defence.
The AFP allege that on one of her unaccompanied visits to Russia, Kira instructed Igor to access her official work account and access specific information relating to Australia's national security interests, which he then sent to her private email account.
Until his arrest, Igor Korolev had been working at a factory that makes caravans north-west of Brisbane.
Nine News has spoken to three of Igor's former work colleagues, each of whom spoke fondly of him, saying he was a hard worker who was very fit despite his 62 years.
Though none of them were willing to speak on camera, they said Igor had told them he'd been in Russian special forces, even showing them pictures of his old platoon.
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Former defence intelligence official Professor Paul Dibb, who spent three decades combating Russian espionage, said the 22-year age difference between the couple, and Igor's military background were "intelligence warning signals blaring at you loud and clear".
He said these were clues of a classic Russian "stay behind operation".
"That is, sleepers who merge into the background, as apparently they have, well regarded but beavering away into getting into our secrets," Dibb said.
He said "stay behinds" are dispatched for the long-term.
"They're trained to be very patient. It's not an immediate overreach yourself and get rumbled by ASIO. It is: be careful, fade into the background, be as Australian as you possibly can, be a pleasant married couple so there's no sort of danger signals in that regard," he said.
"And then you just casually put her as a private – I know this is not senior – but it's the beginning, the wedge is starting, into as I understand it, Army signals organisation.
"Now this is not Pine Gap. This is not top secret code word, but it's putting the foot in the door."
Dibb said Igor's claim of being in Russian special forces, or Spetsnaz, was a concern.
"Spetsnaz, that translates into special forces, but it is not like our special forces as tough as they are. This is a murderous, irresponsible group that murdered and assassinated in Afghanistan, in Crimea."
Igor and Kira were each charged with one count of preparing for an espionage offence which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' jail.
