Austria has declared three Russian diplomats “persona non grata” because of a “forest of antennas” installed on the roofs of diplomatic buildings, which could be used for espionage, the Austrian government announced on Monday, quoted by Reuters.
Numerous satellite dishes located on buildings used by the Russian state in Vienna, particularly on a residential complex for diplomatic staff, have long attracted the attention of Austria's main domestic intelligence service, which has warned for years that they could be used to intercept satellite communications of other states.
“It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity is used to carry out espionage,” Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on Monday.
She made the comment in a statement confirming that the three diplomats had already left the country. The number of Russian diplomats expelled by Austria since 2020 has reached 14.
Russia threatens a tough response to the expulsion of its “diplomats” from Austria
ORF, Austria's public broadcaster, described the three expelled Russians as embassy employees. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the ORF report is correct, but did not provide additional details.
The Russian embassy in Vienna did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but the Russian news agency RIA reported that it said Moscow would react harshly to the decision.
Asked at a press conference why these facilities pose such a risk, Sylvia Mayer, the head of Austria's main domestic intelligence service, said only that it had to do with their size and nature and did not comment on the expulsions.
The capital of Austria, considered a “nest” of espionage
Vienna is an important diplomatic center that hosts the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as well as United Nations organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Larger countries such as Russia and the United States often have separate ambassadors for Austria, the OSCE, and UN organizations, each leading a distinct embassy or mission.
Reuters recalls that Vienna, which was divided into allied sectors after the Second World War, has long had a reputation as a “nest of spies”.
The large diplomatic presence provides the opportunity to place intelligence agents there under diplomatic cover, granting them diplomatic immunity.
