Anthony Albanese tells Moscow to ‘back off’ as it emerges accused spy Kira Korolev has links to Perth

The Prime Minister has told Russia to “back off” after it accused Australia of spreading “anti-Russian paranoia” in charging two of its citizens with espionage, as revelations emerge that one of the accused spies has links to Perth.

Kira Korolev, 40, and her 62-year-old labourer husband Igor were charged with espionage offences on Friday for allegedly trying to obtain sensitive defence material to leak to Russia.

Speaking in Brisbane on Saturday, Anthony Albanese rejected a statement by the Russian Embassy that accused Australia of spreading “anti-Russian paranoia”.

“The press conference of the AFP and ASIO ... was clearly intended to launch another wave of anti-Russian paranoia in Australia,” the statement, posted to X, said.

“Theatrical tricks were used like talking to imaginary ‘Russian spies’ presumed to be all around.

“The Embassy has requested official written information from Australian authorities on the situation and status of Mrs Kira Korolev and Mr Igor Korolev. We’ll consider appropriate measure of consular assistance.”

In an extraordinary rebuke, Mr Albanese responded: “Russia can get the message, back off.”

“Russia engages in espionage here and around the world. Russia has no credibility,” he said.

“And the message to Russia is, how about you get out of Ukraine and stop the illegal and immoral war that you’re engaged in?

“And how about you try to stop interfering in domestic affairs of other sovereign nations. This is a country that has no respect for international law, and they should be regarded with contempt, which is what I have for them.”

According to the ABC, Ms Korolev — an Australian Army private — was an international student in the 2010s and had applied for the role of assistant director for a play called In the Garden, produced by Deckchair Theatre at Victoria Hall in Fremantle.

The former director of the now-defunct theatre company told the publication that Ms Korolev, then using the surname Karavaytseva, was hired for the role.

The former director told the ABC: “I only had nice things to say about Kira. She was a reliable team member and clearly had excellent skills in theatre. We didn’t have a personal relationship beyond out involvement in the production.”

An Instagram post by Ms Korolev in 2020 showed her posing at what is believed to be the old Fremantle power station.

“These photos were taken about 8 years ago at an abandoned power station in #Perth #WesternAustralia. I had to run from security, but it was worth it...” the caption, translated from Russian to English, says.

Ms Korolev’s resume reportedly showed she was an international student who was finishing a master’s degree in film and video at Edith Cowan University at the time.

“In Russia, I worked as assistant director in Moscow drama theatre,’‘ she reportedly wrote in her application for the theatre job.

The resume also showed she had extensive experience in theatre, including working at the Moscow Dramatic Theatre and completing a course at the International Slavic Institute in Russia in the early 2000s.

Ms Korolev and her husband faced court in Brisbane on Friday charged with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.

In the first use of tough espionage laws introduced in 2018, police allege the couple used Mrs Korolev’s position as an information systems technician to access military material to hand to Kremlin authorities. ­

The couple have been in Australia for more than 10 years. The woman — who worked as an information systems technician for the ADF — obtained Australian citizenship in 2016, and her husband in 2020.

Mrs Korolev did not appear in court on Friday, while her husband — appearing separately — did, with the aid of a Russian interpreter.

Mrs Korolev was denied bail and her husband did not apply for bail. Both were remanded in custody until their next hearing before the Brisbane Magistrates Court on September 20.

AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw on Friday said the woman, who had security clearance, had allegedly been “undertaking non-declared” travel to Russia while on long-service leave from the defence force when the alleged offences took place.

“We allege that whilst she was in Russia, she instructed her husband, who remained in Australia, on how to log into her official work account from their Brisbane home,” he said.

“We allege her husband would access requested material and would send it to his wife in Russia. We allege they sought that information with the intention of providing it to Russian authorities.”

Investigations are still ongoing into the pair while they were overseas, whether the woman had entered the ADF intending to commit espionage, and whether anyone else may have been involved.

Mr Kershaw said investigations were still ongoing as to whether the information related to Australian national security interests had been handed over, but that at this stage there was “no significant compromise”.