Austria expels four Russian diplomats on security grounds

Austria's foreign ministry said on Friday it was expelling four Vienna-based Russian diplomats over "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status", a term usually used for ​spying, Reuters reported.

"Based on findings by the Austrian security authorities, the Austrian foreign ministry ​has taken measures against four Russian diplomats in Vienna," it said ⁠in a statement, adding that they had been declared personae non gratae and ​ordered to leave the country.

Three of them worked at Russia's embassy to Austria ​and one at the Russian delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on military security and arms control, the ministry said.

Russia will respond to the expulsions, Russian news agencies cited ​a foreign ministry official as saying soon after Friday's announcement, without elaborating.

The move ​brings to 18 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020.

While Austria does not usually comment on the specifics of such expulsions, during the last round in May, when it expelled three Russian diplomats, it ​said it was because ​of an "antenna forest" ⁠on the roofs of Russian diplomatic buildings that could be used for spying.