Austria expels four more Russian diplomats, citing incompatible activities

Three were embassy staff; one worked in arms control

Austria’s foreign ministry announced in Vienna on the morning of Oct. 23 that it was expelling four more Russian diplomats, citing “activities incompatible with their diplomatic status.”

The Guardian characterized that wording as a euphemism usually for espionage.

Die Presse reported that three of the four diplomats worked at the Russian embassy. The fourth worked at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in arms control.

Austrian security authorities had monitored all four diplomats for some time, Die Presse reported.

A few months earlier, Austria also expelled three Russian embassy staff on spying allegations after a “forest of antennae” was detected at the Russian mission, The Guardian reported.

The Guardian’s Jon Henley described Vienna as Europe’s espionage capital since the Cold War.

The Guardian reported that Austria had expelled 18 Russian diplomats since 2020.

In a separate item in the same live coverage, The Guardian reported that officials said Starlink access for Ukraine remained limited after Trump said the satellite service had been restored.