Austria denies accepting Russian diplomats expelled from other countries for spying

Austria does not accept Russian diplomats expelled by other European countries on suspicion of espionage.

Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Claims that we accept Russian diplomats expelled by other countries are not true. European countries exchange lists of expelled diplomats with each other," the minister commented on media reports that Austria had taken in dozens of Russian spies expelled from other European countries.

He said that the prevalence of reports concerning a considerable number of spies in Vienna is likely attributable to the fact that many international organizations are located in Vienna.

Schallenberg assured that Austria has a "very clear position on espionage activities" on its territory.

"And if someone commits actions that contradict the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, I will never hesitate to take appropriate measures. I proved this even before the Russian aggression began. The first expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Austria took place in 2020," he said.

The minister reminded that 11 Russian diplomats had been expelled from Austria during his tenure.

As Ukrinform reported, earlier The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing Western intelligence agencies, claimed that the Austrian capital had become a new hub for Russian espionage in Europe and that dozens of Russian spies expelled from other European countries had relocated there - over the past two years, the number of Russian civil servants in Austria has increased from 300 to more than 500, about half of whom are spies.

The article said that according to a dozen Austrian, European and U.S. intelligence and government officials, Vienna is now a base for Russian clandestine operations, including financing and logistical support for murder, sabotage and recruitment across Europe, as well as industrial espionage and influence operations.

It was noted that Russian diplomats who were spies based in Vienna were involved in organizing the murder in Spain of former Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who last year flew a Mi-8 helicopter from Russia to Ukraine.