Austria Orders Out Four Russians in Latest Espionage Crackdown

Austria Orders Out Four Russians in Latest Espionage Crackdown

Four declared personae non gratae in Vienna

Austria's foreign ministry announced on Friday, October 23, that it was expelling four Vienna-based Russian diplomats, declaring them personae non gratae over "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status" — the standard diplomatic euphemism for spying. The diplomats were ordered to leave the country within the coming days. The ministry said the move was based on findings by Austria's security authorities but gave no names and no further details about the alleged activities.

Three from the embassy, one from the OSCE mission

Three of the four worked at Russia's embassy to Austria, while the fourth served at the Russian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, according to the foreign ministry. An Austrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed to The Associated Press that the expulsions were linked to espionage.

Why Vienna remains Moscow's window into Europe

Austria's domestic intelligence agency, the DSN, warned in its annual report presented in May that the number of Russian diplomatic personnel in the country remained high even after the post-2022 expulsions, largely because of the many multilateral missions hosted in Vienna. "For this reason, Russian intelligence services use Austria not only as an operational base but also as a planning and fallback location for intelligence activities throughout Europe," the report stated.

A legal gap Vienna now wants to close

Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and her liberal Neos party have long pushed for a tougher line on Russian espionage, including an overhaul of Austria's espionage law. The legislation in force punishes spying by foreign services only when it targets Austrian interests. Amendments now under negotiation would extend liability to espionage directed at the international organizations based in Vienna.

Eighteen expulsions since 2020 — and Moscow vows payback

Friday's move brings the number of Russian diplomats expelled from Austria since 2020 to eighteen. In May, Austria expelled three Russian Embassy employees suspected of using antenna installations on diplomatic buildings to intercept data transmitted by Vienna-based international organizations via satellite internet, as reported by public broadcaster ORF. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky said Moscow's response was unavoidable. What comes next is a two-sided watch: the scale of Russia's retaliation, and whether the espionage-law reform finally clears parliament. Either way, the episode shows how expulsions remain the standard diplomatic signal when espionage suspicions surface without a public trial.