Austria Expels Three Russian Diplomats Over Suspected Antenna Use in Vienna

Austria expelled three Russian Embassy employees on May 4, 2026, after suspicions arose that they engaged in espionage using antennas installed on Russian diplomatic buildings in Vienna. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the action, which targeted individuals suspected of intercepting data transmitted via satellite internet by international organizations based in the city.

ABC News reported that the three diplomats have already left Austria.

Austrian authorities suspected the three diplomats of conducting spying activities with antennas on the roofs of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and a diplomatic compound in the Donaustadt district. These installations allowed the interception of data from organizations using satellite internet, according to a report by Austrian public broadcaster ORF that the Foreign Ministry confirmed.

The expelled employees were declared personae non gratae due to these activities.

N. agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. These entities transmit data that could be targeted by such espionage efforts.

The antennas on the Russian diplomatic buildings were specifically cited in the suspicions of spying. Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger stated, 'Espionage is a security problem for Austria. She added, 'We have made this unequivocally clear to the Russian side, also with regard to the array of antennas at the Russian embassy.

Meinl-Reisinger also noted that Austria is currently tightening its espionage law to prevent such cases. The current legislation punishes espionage by foreign services only if it targets Austrian interests, according to the Austrian Press Agency. Proposed changes would extend protections to international organizations.

Austria has recently expelled more Russian diplomats, marking a shift from its initial hesitation. The Russian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in April 2026 over the diplomats' activities, ORF reported. Austrian officials asked the Russian side to lift the diplomats' immunity to allow prosecutors to pursue an investigation, but Russia refused.

This refusal led to the expulsions on May 4, 2026. The Russian Embassy in Vienna posted on Telegram on May 4, 2026, that it had taken note of Austria's decision concerning its employees and that Moscow will respond strongly. The statement indicated that Vienna bears full responsibility for the further deterioration of bilateral relations, which are already at a historical low.

Western European nations and Russia have expelled each other’s diplomats on several occasions since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Austria, a European Union member with a policy of military neutrality, was initially hesitant but has taken such actions more recently. The expulsions reflect ongoing tensions in diplomatic relations amid these broader conflicts.