Spy Scandal: Austria Expels Russian Diplomat
Austria has expelled a russian diplomat over a spy scandal at OMV, the largest Austrian energy company. On September 30, Austria’s Foreign Ministry declared an employee of the russian embassy in Vienna persona non grata after moscow refused to lift his diplomatic immunity to allow an investigation.
▫️ Austrian counterintelligence discovered that this diplomat regularly met with an OMV top manager suspected of passing confidential data to russia. During searches, internal company documents were seized from him, and a criminal case has been opened.
▫️ Western media had earlier noted that in recent years the number of russian diplomats in Vienna increased from 400 to over 500, many of whom are engaged in espionage. As a result, Austria has effectively become a hub of russian spy activity in Europe.
The kremlin systematically uses diplomatic cover for espionage activities in Europe. Despite the expulsion of russian diplomats from several European countries, the problem persists: hundreds of “diplomat-spies” pose a real threat to the security not only of Austria but of the whole of Europe.
