One of two alleged Russian spies living in suburban Brisbane was not only able to join the Australian Defence Force, but was promoted in an army recruitment video.
In the now-deleted promotional material for the army, which was uncovered by The Nightly, 40-year-old Kira Korolev speaks about her role as an information systems technician working to prevent “any security breaches”.
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“I’m Kira and I’m an information systems technician in the Australian army,” she said.
“I was growing up living in Moscow, Russia, and then I came to Australia.
“I found out that I can join as IT specialist without any prior experience because the full training is provided.
“On a day-to-day basis, I’m administering the system, making sure that the network work[s] well and we don’t have any security breaches.”
Korolev and her 62-year-old husband, Igor Korolev, were arrested at their Everton Park apartment on Friday and charged with stealing sensitive Defence Force material for Kremlin intelligence, triggering concerns over espionage and foreign interference.
The married couple arrived in Australia about 10 years ago and became citizens some years later.
Police are investigating whether their alleged links to Russia predate their arrival or they were allegedly turned after arriving in Australia.an alleged Russian spy was promoted as a case study for military recruitment.
In the recruitment video, Korolev spoke about her love for “the nation”.
“I can meet new people and I can make friends for life. I like to serve the nation, which I love,” she said.