Vienna, Oct 24:
Austria has ordered four Russian diplomats to leave the country over alleged espionage activities, an Austrian official said on Friday. The latest move takes the number of Russian diplomats expelled by Austria since 2020 to 18.
Three of the diplomats were posted at the Russian Embassy in Vienna, while the fourth was based at Russiaās mission to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Austriaās Foreign Ministry said they had engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status and had been declared personae non gratae. The diplomats were asked to leave in the coming days.
The ministry did not disclose further details about the alleged activities. Russiaās Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told the state-run TASS news agency that a response was unavoidable.
Vienna has long been regarded as a centre for international intelligence activity because it hosts several international organisations and a large diplomatic community. In May, Austria expelled three Russian Embassy employees over suspicions involving antenna installations on diplomatic buildings that reportedly enabled the interception of data transmitted by international organisations. The latest expulsions come amid continuing tensions between Russia and European countries over espionage allegations following Moscowās invasion of Ukraine.