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AFP Charges Vladimir Teslov With Foreign Interference

8/21/2026

Summary

Teslov Charged

Australian Federal Police charged dual Russian-Australian citizen Vladimir Teslov with foreign interference.
Investigators allege Teslov travelled to Russia in October 2024 for military-style training.
He allegedly joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2025 to obtain unit and location data.
Teslov is accused of passing that Ukrainian information to people he believed were Russian intelligence.
The foreign-interference charge carries up to 20 years imprisonment; his case was adjourned to 2 October 2026.

Summary

Barrett Warns Interference

Investigators seized numerous electronic devices for forensic analysis after the arrest.
The Department of Home Affairs defines foreign interference as covert influence that harms Australia’s freedom.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the probe is not aimed at any particular country.
The Counter Foreign Interference Task Force targets criminal conduct rather than geopolitical targeting.
Barrett warned offenders can make the nation vulnerable to security threats.

History

Historical Context

After Malcolm Turnbull secured royal assent for the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act on 29 June 2018—modeled on the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act and drafted with U.S. Department of Justice input—Australia criminalised undeclared foreign lobbying. The 2025 arrest of Russian-Australian Vladimir Teslov by the Australian Federal Police demonstrates the law’s reach, mirroring newer foreign-interference statutes adopted in Canada (2022) and Singapore (2021).

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Teslov Charged

Australian Federal Police charged dual Russian-Australian citizen Vladimir Teslov with foreign interference.
Investigators allege Teslov travelled to Russia in October 2024 for military-style training.
He allegedly joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2025 to obtain unit and location data.
Teslov is accused of passing that Ukrainian information to people he believed were Russian intelligence.
The foreign-interference charge carries up to 20 years imprisonment; his case was adjourned to 2 October 2026.

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