“We have changed course and are taking consistent steps against espionage. We have also informed the Russian side about the forest of antennas on the roof of its embassy. It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity is abused for espionage,” Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinlová-Reisingerová said in a statement. She confirmed that the trio of diplomats had already left the country.
“Spy devices on the roofs of the Russian embassy in the third district and on the roofs of the diplomatic complex in Donaustadt are a thorn in the side of the Austrian secret service. They allow Russia to capture data transmitted by international organizations via satellite Internet,” the ORF station pointed out, adding that Moscow has been constantly expanding these devices in Vienna since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, Austria has expelled 14 Russian diplomats, but there are still approximately 220 of them in the country. The Austrian authorities wanted to investigate the aforementioned trio on suspicion of espionage. She was expelled from the country after Russia refused to waive her diplomatic immunity.
Previously good relations between the militarily neutral Vienna and Moscow deteriorated significantly after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine in 2022.
Austria has long been considered a bridge between Moscow and the West and at the same time a center of secret service activities. In recent years, this EU member state has been rocked by several cases of suspected espionage for Russia.
