Status is withdrawn

Austria expels suspected Kremlin spies

Austria has declared two Russian diplomats to be undesirable persons. According to a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) on Wednesday evening, the two "have committed acts that are incompatible with their diplomatic status". 

This wording is usually used when it comes to secret service activities. It is an open secret that there are spies among the Russian state embassy staff in Vienna.

Departure by Tuesday
Those affected must leave Austrian territory by March 19 at the latest. They had been working at the Russian bilateral embassy in Austria, not at the representation to the international organizations in Vienna.

In the past, Austria has been rather reluctant to expel Russian diplomats. One of the reasons given for this was the impact on the Austrian representation in Moscow, which is much more sparsely staffed. In fact, the Russian Foreign Ministry immediately announced a "reaction" to the "groundless" expulsion of the two diplomats.

Consequences for domestic diplomats?
It is expected that Austrian diplomats in Moscow will now also have to pack their bags, even if they are not guilty of anything comparable to the two suspected Russian spies in Vienna.