Austria Expels 4 Russian Diplomats Over ‘Spy Suspicions’; Russia: ‘We Will Definitely Retaliate’

[Financial News] The Austrian government abruptly expelled four Russian diplomats based in the country who were suspected of engaging in espionage. Russia condemned the move as blind adherence to the West’s anti-Russian policies and vowed strong retaliation.
According to AP and other foreign media on the 23rd (local time), Austria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had designated three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and one staff member of Russia’s mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as ‘persona non grata’ and ordered them to leave the country immediately.
The Foreign Ministry cited ‘activities incompatible with diplomatic status’ as grounds for the expulsions, a phrase commonly used as a euphemism for espionage. One of the OSCE diplomats was reportedly responsible for military security and arms control. In this connection, Austrian current affairs magazine Profil reported that people suspected of being Russian agents had tried to approach Austrian military officials, and that the Defense Ministry had issued an alert to military authorities two months earlier.
Vienna, Austria, home to many major international organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has traditionally been a major arena for intense espionage by intelligence agents using diplomatic immunity as cover. Austria, a militarily neutral country, has supported Ukraine and joined the European Union’s sanctions against Russia since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The latest move brings the total number of Russian diplomats expelled from Austria since 2020 to 18, although around 220 Russian diplomats are still reportedly working at missions in Vienna.
Russia immediately protested. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told Russian media, ‘Austria’s move will undoubtedly be followed by countermeasures.’ The Russian Embassy in Austria also issued a statement calling the move ‘an act of blindly following the West’s anti-Russian policies’ and warning that a corresponding response was inevitable.


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