Australia’s Spy Chief Warns of Escalating Espionage Threat from Russia, China

Australia’s top intelligence official has labelled Russia a “persistent and aggressive espionage threat,” revealing that numerous Moscow-linked operatives have been caught and expelled in recent years.

In a major national security address on Thursday, Mike Burgess, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), disclosed that 24 major foreign espionage operations had been dismantled since 2022 — surpassing the total from the previous eight years combined.

“A new iteration of great power competition is driving a relentless hunger for strategic advantage and an insatiable appetite for inside information,” Burgess said, stressing that Australia remains a prime target for foreign intelligence services.

Without elaborating, he confirmed that several Russian spies had been removed from Australia and warned that hostile intelligence efforts were increasingly targeting sensitive national projects.

Burgess also singled out China and Iran as active players in espionage against Australia, cautioning: “You would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets.”

He reiterated earlier warnings about the intense interest foreign actors are showing in the AUKUS defence pact — a trilateral agreement between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom to develop nuclear-powered submarines.

“In particular, we are seeing foreign intelligence services taking a very unhealthy interest in AUKUS and its associated capabilities,” Burgess stated.

His comments follow the 2023 arrest of a Russian-born couple accused of spying for Moscow. The pair, who had lived in Australia for over a decade, were charged with attempting to steal military secrets.

The speech underscores growing concerns within Australia’s intelligence community over the scale and sophistication of foreign espionage operations, particularly as global geopolitical tensions intensify.