Attard was Russian Correspondent for ABC Radio and TV from 1990 to 1994, and gained global visibility during the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, which she covered from Moscow, where she was barricaded with forces loyal to the Russian Federation President, Boris Yeltsin. She received three Walkley Awards during this period, including the Gold Walkley in 1991. Attard published a book entitled "Russia: Which Way Paradise?" in 1997, which documented some of her experiences and interactions with Russians during a period of rapid change.