Not just the location

Russian and Chinese agents are highly active

Hundreds of spies are active in Austria.(Bild: jgolby - stock.adobe.com)

The affair surrounding Russian spies in the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is becoming a key issue in the upcoming election campaign. The ÖVP wants to investigate the case further in the remaining sessions of the sub-committee on the "red-blue abuse of power" and question FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl again. The "Krone" investigated the question of why Vienna, of all places, is an interesting location for Russian spies.

There are probably at least 100 Russian agents in Vienna. "Russia has its largest embassy in Austria," explains an expert from the intelligence office in an interview with the "Krone". "Officially, there are 500 Russian diplomats here. If only one in five is a spy, that makes 100." There are also some who operate undercover and are in the country under false names. And "work" in some companies, for example.