Austria expelled three Russian diplomats, suspecting them of espionage. Russia was accused of electronic intelligence due to the “forest of antennas” on the diplomatic mission buildings in Vienna

Austrian authorities have declared three Russian diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of espionage, Reuters reports. The diplomats have already left the country.

According to the agency, the decision to expel Russian diplomats is related to the “forest of antennas.” The fact that Russia could use numerous satellite dishes installed on the roofs of Russian diplomatic facilities in Vienna for espionage was reported in mid-March by several Western publications, including the Financial Times.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry and its head Beate Meinl-Reisinger, as follows from the Reuters publication, did not directly disclose what exactly the expelled diplomats are accused of. “It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity is used for espionage,” the minister said.

According to the Austrian broadcaster ORF, in mid-April the Russian Ambassador in Vienna was summoned to the Austrian Foreign Ministry. The Russian side was demanded to lift diplomatic immunity from the three accused due to the “forest of antennas” so that the prosecutor’s office could continue the investigation. Russia was given two weeks, but did not comply with this requirement.

Under pressure from the Austrian authorities, Russia, ORF reports, dismantled some antennas in Vienna. But exactly how many and where is unknown.

The Russian Embassy in Austria clarified that employees of the embassy and the permanent mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) left the country. The embassy called the expulsion of diplomats an “outrageous decision” and an “unfriendly step,” promising a “tough reaction from Moscow.”

In total, since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Austria has expelled 14 Russian diplomats.

• Vienna is a major diplomatic center. The headquarters of many international organizations are located here, including the UN, the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
• The capital of Austria is also considered a center of international espionage, also due to the fact that many diplomats from different countries work in the city.