Austria’s Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of four Russian diplomats from Vienna over alleged illegal activities and suspected espionage. Three of the diplomats worked at the Russian Embassy and one at the Russian mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Today, Friday, 23 October 2026, Austria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was expelling four Russian diplomats from the capital, Vienna, because they had engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, which are often used as an indication of espionage activities.
The statement said the decision was based on the findings of investigations by Austria’s security authorities. It clarified that three of the diplomats worked at the Russian Embassy in Austria, while the other diplomat was part of Russia’s official mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The move comes after Austria expelled three Russian diplomats in May last year on suspicion of espionage, following the installation of communications equipment and antennas on buildings belonging to Moscow’s diplomatic mission in Vienna for the purpose of spying on international communications. At the time, Austria’s broadcaster had revealed that a satellite system may have been used to collect information on international organizations based in Vienna. Meanwhile, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, the country’s foreign minister, had reiterated that the use of diplomatic immunity for espionage activities was in no way acceptable.
It is worth noting that, following the expulsions in May, Austrian authorities said that the number of Russian diplomats expelled from the country since 2020 had reached 14, underscoring the continued tensions between the two countries over accusations that Moscow uses diplomatic missions to gather intelligence.
