Austria has ordered four Russian diplomats based in Vienna to leave the country after findings by its security services, Reuters reports via Daily Maverick.
The foreign ministry declared them personae non gratae. Three worked at Russia's embassy in Austria and the fourth at its delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, handling military security and arms control. The ministry did not give further details, and the Russian embassy did not immediately comment.
The move takes to 18 the number of Russian diplomats expelled by Austria since 2020. In May it expelled three, citing clusters of antennas on Russian diplomatic buildings that could be used for spying.
Although Austria is militarily neutral, its governments have backed Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Vienna hosts the OSCE and several UN bodies and has long been known as a hub for intelligence activity.
Source: Daily Maverick
