Austria has expelled three Russian diplomats following concerns about surveillance equipment installed on diplomatic buildings in Vienna, the government announced on Monday. The Foreign Ministry declared the diplomats personae non gratae due to what it described as an “antenna forest”—a large array of satellite dishes mounted on properties connected to the Russian state, including a residential complex for diplomatic personnel.
These installations had been under scrutiny for some time by Austria’s domestic intelligence service, which suspected the equipment might be used to intercept satellite communications from other nations. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger condemned the misuse of diplomatic immunity for espionage, confirming the diplomats had already departed Austria. This action raises the total number of Russian diplomats expelled by Vienna since 2020 to fourteen.
While public broadcaster ORF identified the expelled individuals as embassy staff, the Foreign Ministry neither confirmed nor denied this detail. The Russian embassy in Vienna did not immediately respond, but Russian state news agency RIA cited the embassy stating Moscow would respond “harshly” to the expulsions.
Sylvia Mayer, head of Austria’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, explained that the decision was influenced by the scale and nature of the satellite installations but refrained from commenting on the timing of the expulsions.
Vienna is home to numerous major international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), making it a critical global diplomatic center. The city’s reputation as a hub for intelligence activity dates back to its Cold War history as a divided Allied city, contributing to its significant diplomatic presence.
