Australian police have charged a man who allegedly joined the Ukrainian military and sought to provide information about its activities to people he suspected were Russian agents. Vladimir Teslov, a dual Russian-Australian citizen, appeared in court on Friday after the Australian federal police (AFP) charged him with an attempted foreign interference. The offence carries a 20-year prison sentence.
Police alleged the 27-year-old travelled to Russia to undergo military-style training in October 2024. When Teslov returned to Australia later that year, he maintained contact “with individuals he believed were connected to Russian intelligence services”, police alleged. In May last year, he allegedly travelled to Ukraine and joined its armed forces.
During this time, he accessed information relating to their military personnel, units and locations, police allege. The AFP’s commissioner, Krissy Barrett, said an investigation into the man – codenamed Operation Woodcreeper – started in June this year. It is alleged Teslov’s attempts to share the information “created a risk to the safety and security of Ukrainian military personnel”.
He is alleged to have made the attempts in Australia and overseas. Teslov was arrested on Thursday, with several properties in Brisbane being searched by police, and multiple devices seized. He was believed to live in Victoria, and was unemployed, police said.
There was no suggestion he received military training in Australia, nor worked for any government agency. Barrett said the investigation was complex, but the man was not suspected to have posed any direct threat to Australia. There was also no known connection between Teslov and a Russian-born couple, Kira and Igor Korolev, who lived in Brisbane and were charged with espionage offences in 2024, Barrett said.
That case is ongoing and the pair have yet to enter a plea. Barrett did not confirm how long Teslov had lived in Australia. When asked whether he was part of a broader network, she said investigations were continuing and further arrests were possible.
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