Mr Hancock claimed his assistant had done nothing wrong and revealed that she is set to appeal against the charges.
A security source reportedly told the newspaper that Ms Zatuliveter's presence in the UK was "not conducive to national security" and that the Home Office hopes to "show her the door".
Fears may have been intensified by Mr Hancock's position on a defence committee and the location of a naval base within his constituency.
However, he has backed his employee, stating: 'She is not a Russian spy. I know nothing about espionage, but she has been subjected to a deportation order.
'She is appealing it, because she feels - quite rightly - that she has done nothing wrong.'
While the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases, the Sunday Times claimed secretary of state for work and pensions Teresa May gave the green light to Ms Zatuliveter's arrest after reading the evidence against her.
The news comes less than a year after Russian national Anna Chapman was arrested in New York on suspicion of espionage, having previously lived in the UK for up to four years.
Katia Zatuliveter Is A Russian Spy
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