Austria has expelled three Russian diplomats amid mounting concerns that a sprawling array of satellite dishes mounted on diplomatic buildings in Vienna was being used for espionage.
The Austrian government declared the officials “persona non gratae” on Monday following a long-running intelligence investigation into what security services have described as an “antenna forest” installed on Russian properties in the capital.
Beate Meinl-Reisinger condemned the alleged activity, warning that diplomatic protections must not be abused.
“It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity be used to commit espionage,” she said, confirming the diplomats had already left the country.
Austria’s domestic intelligence agency, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, has been monitoring the rooftop installations for years amid suspicions they could be used to intercept satellite communications.
Officials have declined to provide detailed technical assessments, but the scale and configuration of the equipment have raised persistent concerns within security circles.
The three expelled individuals were identified as staff from the Russian embassy in Vienna, according to Austrian broadcaster ORF, a characterisation later confirmed by the foreign ministry.
The move marks the latest escalation in a series of diplomatic expulsions. Austria has now removed 14 Russian diplomatic personnel since 2020, reflecting a broader shift in European attitudes towards suspected intelligence activity linked to Moscow.
Russia has yet to formally respond, though state news agency RIA reported that the embassy warned of severe retaliation.
Vienna occupies a unique position at the heart of international diplomacy. The city hosts major institutions, including the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency, attracting a dense concentration of foreign missions.
That environment has long made the Austrian capital fertile ground for intelligence operations conducted under diplomatic cover.
Its reputation as a centre for espionage dates back to the aftermath of World War II, when Vienna was divided into Allied sectors and became a focal point of Cold War intelligence activity.
The latest expulsions suggest that, decades on, the city’s shadow war of surveillance and counter-surveillance remains very much alive.
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