Australia to deport Kazakh-born Irish woman for allegedly spying for Russia
February 27, 2023 1 Comment
THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA has ordered the deportation of a Kazakh-born Irish citizen, who is believed to be a spy for the Russian Federation, according to reports from Australia and Ireland. The woman in question has been identified as Marina Sologub, 39, an ethnic Russian who was born in Kazakhstan, but grew up in the Republic of Ireland.
Sologub reportedly spent her teenage years in Glanmire, a suburb of the city of Cork, located on Ireland’s southern coastline. She eventually enrolled at University College Cork, where she graduated with a degree in Politics and Governance. While still at university, Sologub worked for Bernard Allen, a member of parliament for Ireland’s center-right Fine Gael political party. She then worked full-time at the office of Willie Penrose, a parliamentarian for the left-of-center Labour Party, which is far smaller than Fine Gael.
In 2011, when she was in her late 20s, Sologub was hired by Ireland’s National Space Centre in Middleton, Cork, where she remained for 7 years. According to media reports, Sologub has claimed that she was instrumental in “the development of intergovernmental agreement between Republic of Ireland and Russia Federation in use of space for civil purposes” during her time at the National Space Centre.
In 2020, Sologub’s impressive résumé landed her a job with the British-headquartered international consultancy firm Deloitte in Australia. She moved to Australia in September of that year and worked for Deloitte for about a year, at which point she was hired by a private firm specializing in the space industry. She subsequently entered employment with the city council of Marion, a small suburb of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.
On February 22, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which is tasked with counterintelligence, announced that Sologub’s visa was under investigation on suspicion of her role in international espionage. It was reported that Sologub had had “extensive interactions with diplomatic staff from the Russian embassy” in Australia, which began soon after she entered the country in 2020. Now Australia has announced Sologub’s deportation from the country. According to media reports, Sologub’s deportation is part of a wider operation that aims “to identify Russian intelligence workers among high-ranking employees” in Australian government and industry.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 27 February 2023 | Permalink
intelNews.org 
So, Marina Sologub, 39, an “ethnic Russian…Kazakh-born…Irish citizen…living in Australia”. It all sounds so improbably mysterious only SVR, FSB or GRU could dream up such a legend. This was sure to draw security Australian interest.
Her expertise in “space industry” could have eventually put her in touch with contacts dealing with Australian/US spy satellites, ground stations like Pine Gap*
and AUKUS military rocket/missile technologies.
She last lived in Adelaide, Australia, a city where highly sensitive Collins submarines are built/maintained. Also AUKUS SSNs will be built there. Both types of subs use Top Secret US Combat System technologies.
Her “extensive interactions with diplomatic staff from the Russian embassy” looks like very poor tradecraft.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Gap would be a prize “target” for Russian intelligence as “the Gap”, in Australia’s Northern Territory, is partly staffed by CIA, NSA & NRO employees and similar Australians.