Austria expels four Russian diplomats from embassy and OSCE posts
Austria ordered four Russian diplomats to leave after security authorities found activities incompatible with their status. Three were accredited to the Russian embassy and one served in Russia’s OSCE delegation. The Foreign Ministry cited different legal arrangements for the two postings but withheld details of the alleged activities. The decision brings Austria’s expulsions of Russian diplomats since 2020 to 18.
Geopolitics··Evening
Four Vienna postings end in expulsion
Austria’s Foreign Ministry ordered four Russian diplomats serving in Vienna to leave on October 23. Three held accreditation at Russia’s embassy, while the fourth belonged to its delegation at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the regional security body known as the OSCE. The ministry said Austrian security authorities had identified activities inconsistent with the diplomats’ status. It declared them unwelcome but did not disclose the specific conduct behind its decision. The announcement described a diplomatic measure based on security findings, without publishing a criminal judgment establishing espionage.[1], [2]
Embassy and OSCE personnel face different legal grounds
For the embassy diplomats, Austria invoked Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. For the OSCE representative, the ministry cited the headquarters agreement governing that posting. The latter official worked on military security and arms control. Austria said the activities at issue were incompatible with the status granted through that agreement. The departure instruction therefore covered embassy staff and a representative at an international organization through separate accreditation arrangements. Vienna hosts several international bodies, including the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, alongside the OSCE.[1]
Expulsions follow an earlier security warning
Austrian magazine profil reported that three of those expelled had appeared on a Defence Ministry list drawn up in mid-August. It said the ministry had warned armed-forces personnel and reservists about approaches from suspected Russian agents and requested information. According to that account, the list contained 21 names from a leak published by Russian exile outlet Proekt. These details remain attributed reporting about the earlier warning. Austria has now expelled 18 Russian diplomats since 2020. In May it expelled three embassy employees amid suspicions concerning satellite installations on diplomatic premises. The Russian embassy initially offered no comment on the latest decision.[1]
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