A mystery Russian diplomat has prompted a national security standoff between Canberra and the Kremlin, defying Australia's efforts to kick him off a messy building site near parliament.
Australia has blocked Russia from building a new embassy on a parcel of land a stone's throw from Parliament House, after intelligence officials warned that Moscow would use the site as a base to spy on MPs.
Last week, Australia passed laws specifically drafted to stop the development, which sits about 400m away from the parliamentary precinct.
Russia has launched a legal bid to save the project, while also embarking on an unusual diplomatic gambit to despatch an official to squat in a run-down portable cabin on the site.
The middle-aged man, clad in track pants and a puffer jacket, presents a prickly challenge for Australian officials, who are wary of forcibly evicting a Russian envoy.
Government sources told AFP the man has diplomatic protection, although he did not seem to appear on Russia's public list of representatives in Australia.
The man remained inside the cabin for most of today, as multiple Australian police vehicles parked nearby.
But he finally emerged hooded into the frigid Canberra night to smoke a cigarette before returning to the cabin to watch TV.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the diplomat as "some bloke standing in the cold on a blade of grass in Canberra".
The "bloke", Mr Albanese insisted, is "not a threat to our national security".
'Russophobic hysteria'
The Russian embassy in Australia confirmed in a statement that its "employees" were staying at the site "to ensure the safety" of a structure built to house consular services as well as construction materials.
However, the statement carried by Russian news agencies added that "information about police attempts to expel our employees is not true." No other details were provided.
Russia bought the lease to the land from the Australian government in 2008, and in 2011 was granted approval to build its new embassy there.
But the Australian government announced last week it was tearing up the lease.
"The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk posed by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House," Mr Albanese told reporters.
"We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence."
The new laws, passed with bipartisan support, do not stop Russia from having a diplomatic footprint in Australia, only from building so close to parliament.
An Australian government spokesman said Russia was seeking an injunction at the country's highest court, on the grounds that the move was unconstitutional.
"Russia's challenge to the validity of the law is not unexpected," he told AFP. "This is part of the Russian playbook."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week it was a demonstration of "Russophobic hysteria".
Russia's foreign ministry earlier this week released a list of 48 Australians who were banned from the country for promoting an "anti-Russian agenda".
The list included journalists, government officials, and executives from local defence companies.
