VIENNA – In a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions between Moscow and a European Union member state, Austria’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday it has expelled three Russian Embassy personnel over credible allegations of systematic espionage targeting international organizations headquartered in the country. The move confirms an earlier report from Austrian public broadcaster ORF, which first broke the story Sunday, detailing accusations that the three diplomats used hidden antenna arrays installed on the roofs of two Russian diplomatic properties – the main Russian Embassy in central Vienna and a separate diplomatic compound in the capital’s Donaustadt district – to conduct covert intelligence gathering.
According to ORF’s reporting, the custom-built antenna installations gave Russian intelligence operatives the capability to intercept satellite internet data transmitted by major international organizations based in Vienna. The Austrian capital hosts a dense network of key global bodies, including multiple United Nations agencies, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
In an official statement announcing the expulsions, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger emphasized that the new government has shifted its approach to addressing foreign espionage on Austrian soil. “Espionage is a security problem for Austria. In this government, we have changed course and are taking decisive action against it,” Meinl-Reisinger said. “We have made this unequivocally clear to the Russian side, also with regard to the array of antennas at the Russian embassy. One thing is clear: it is unacceptable for diplomatic immunity to be used to engage in espionage.”
The incident traces back to April, when Austrian authorities summoned Russian Ambassador Dmitry Lyubinsky to the Foreign Ministry over the suspected activities. Prosecutors requested that Moscow waive diplomatic immunity for the three employees to allow a formal criminal investigation, but Russia rejected the request – a decision that directly triggered the expulsion order, ORF confirmed. As of Monday, all three expelled diplomats have already departed Austrian territory.
Beyond the immediate expulsions, the Austrian government is moving to update the country’s national espionage legislation to close critical gaps that currently leave international organizations based in Austria underprotected. Under existing law, espionage carried out by foreign actors is only criminalized if it targets direct Austrian national interests. The proposed regulatory reforms, put forward by the current administration, will extend the same legal protections to activities involving international organizations hosted on Austrian soil, the Austrian Press Agency confirmed.
The expulsions mark the latest in a series of reciprocal diplomatic expulsions between Western European states and Russia that have taken place since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Austria, which holds formal military neutrality as an EU member, initially avoided taking high-profile diplomatic action against Moscow but has ramped up such expulsions in recent months.
The Russian Embassy in Vienna had not responded to direct requests for comment on the decision by Monday afternoon. However, in a public statement posted to its official Telegram channel Monday, the embassy called Austria’s decision “outrageous” and warned that Moscow would issue a forceful reciprocal response. The statement added that “Vienna bears full responsibility for the further deterioration of bilateral relations, which are already at a historical low.”