Austria declared four Russian diplomats personae non gratae over “activities incompatible with their diplomatic status,” and Russia’s Foreign Ministry vowed a response but gave no details on what it would involve.
Austria’s Foreign Ministry said three of the diplomats were assigned to Russia’s embassy in Vienna. The fourth handled military security and arms control as Russia’s representative at the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told state-run TASS, “A response will follow inevitably.” The Moscow Times reported that he did not explain what measures Russia might take.
Vienna also hosts United Nations bodies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, The Moscow Times reported. Austria is formally neutral, but its governments have supported Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, the outlet reported.
In May, Austria expelled three Russian diplomats after its Foreign Ministry cited rooftop antenna installations at Russian diplomatic sites as possible tools for spying, The Moscow Times reported.
