A Russian-born Australian army private and her husband have been arrested on espionage charges after allegedly working to steal sensitive defence information.

Australian Federal Police arrested 40-year-old Kira Korolev, an army private who had worked in the defence force and 62-year-old Igor Korolev, who was a self-employed labourer, in Brisbane on Thursday.

Kira Korolev’s matter was heard in the Brisbane Arrest Court on Friday under the charge of preparing for an espionage offence.

Korolev did not appear and was denied bail by Magistrate Ross Mack, with her matter moved to the Commonwealth Court on September 20.

Igor Korolev is expected to face court later on Friday.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw earlier said the army private had worked in the defence force “for several years as an information systems technician”.

The couple have been in Australia for about 10 years and arrived married.

Residents at their apartment complex in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park told the ABC they kept to themselves. Some said they had never seen the pair.

“I’ve had a half a dozen interactions with [Kira] and then I may have seen [Igor] twice over the years,” said Blake Fraser.

Kira Korolev worked for the Defence Force. Photo: Supplied 

Police allege they worked together to obtain the sensitive information. But no further details have been given about the woman’s security clearance or the nature of the documents accessed.

The woman travelled to Russia without declaring it to authorities while on long-term leave from the defence force in 2023 and coached her husband to access her official work account, police allege.

She allegedly guided him on how to access specific information and send it to her private email account while in Russia.

Kira Korolev was still on leave when she was arrested, police confirmed.

Police said investigations continued into whether any information made it into Russian hands.

Also still being investigated is whether the couple arrived in Australia as Kremlin plants or were cultivated and turned once onshore.

Kira Korolev became an Australian citizen in 2016 and her husband in 2020.

Asked how the couple, who still had Russian passports, were able to access classified information, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said security clearance vetting wasn’t a panacea.

“Vetting is not a solution that stops problems,” he said in Canberra on Friday.

“If you meet the requirements to get a security clearance, you’ll get a security clearance. But that doesn’t mean to say the security journey stops at this point.”

“We will work with Defence to work through what is the teachable moment here if there are any.”

Igor Korolev was arrested in Brisbane on Thursday and charged with preparing for espionage. Photo: AAP

The Defence Department said it took all breaches of security seriously.

“In response to serious allegations, it is general practice to suspend an ADF member from service, including immediately cancelling the member’s access to Defence bases and ICT systems,” it said.

It wasn’t unusual for Defence members to access systems while on leave due to check-in requirements, police say. No other individuals had been identified at this point and there was no ongoing threat, they said.

The preparation of espionage offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars, but the higher charge of espionage could be levelled later as more information comes to light.

It carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Australian intelligence agencies haven’t named what Russian agency the pair allegedly worked for, or when they became aware of the alleged plot, as they want to protect their capability.

Igor Korolev was a self-employed labourer. Photo: Supplied

Burgess warned espionage wasn’t “some quaint, Cold War notion”.

“Foreign intelligence services are capable, determined and patient, they play the long game,” he said.

“The problem for them is ASIO does too … if you’re conducting espionage in this country, we will detect you and we will deal with you.

“This case demonstrates an effective security culture.”

Speaking directly to the Kremlin and its spies on the 70th anniversary of the Petrov affair where Russian intelligence officials defected to ASIO, he said his organisation was always listening.

“If you want to share your secrets, please reach out,” he said.

– AAP