Austria ordered four Russian diplomats to leave on Oct. 23 after security findings, bringing the total expelled since 2020 to 18, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.
The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs said it acted on findings by Austrian security authorities and designated the four personae non gratae. It described their conduct as “activities incompatible with their diplomatic status,” but did not explain what the diplomats had allegedly done or identify a specific offense.
Three of the diplomats served at Russia’s embassy in Vienna. Reuters reported that the fourth was assigned to Russia’s delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where the diplomat worked on military security and arms control.
An unnamed Austrian official told the Associated Press that the expulsions were linked to espionage. The ministry’s public statement did not itself identify espionage or detail the alleged activity.
The latest order follows Austria’s expulsion of three Russian Embassy employees in May 2026 over suspected espionage involving antennas on diplomatic buildings, the Associated Press reported. EconoTimes previously covered Austria’s expulsion of four Russian diplomats and Russia’s promised response.
Vienna also hosts the OSCE and United Nations bodies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency. Reuters has reported that the concentration of diplomatic missions in the city can provide cover for intelligence activity.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told TASS, “The response is inevitable.” He did not say what Russia might do or when it would act.
