An Australian army private has been accused of working as a Kremlin spy after being caught secretly travelling to Russia with her husband.

Kira Korolev, 40, who is also a travel blogger, and husband Igor, 62, were remanded in Queensland on Friday charged with preparing for an espionage offence.

Mr and Mrs Korolev, Russian-born Australian citizens, are accused of working together to leak military secrets to Kremlin agents. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was investigating whether the pair had migrated on a spy mission and whether Mrs Korolev had joined the army with the intention of committing espionage.

Police indicated more charges could be laid as they tracked the couple’s movements. Questions have been raised about the army vetting process and how someone with a security clearance was able to travel undetected to Russia.

Mrs Korolev took leave from her role as an army information systems technician in 2023 and later allegedly misled authorities about her plans when she travelled to Russia, police said.