Austria has expelled three employees of the Russian embassy. They are suspected of espionage, after it was discovered that a “forest of antennas” is installed on the diplomatic mission in Vienna. These would have been used for the illegal interception of data.
“It is unacceptable for diplomatic immunity to be used to commit espionage”. We have communicated this to the Russian side in the clearest possible terms, including regarding the forest of antennas at the Russian mission, declared on Monday the Austrian Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
According to a report by the Austrian public broadcaster ORF, data from international and national organizations using satellite internet were systematically intercepted by equipment installed on the roofs of the embassy and the diplomatic complex.
Among the important multilateral institutions based in Vienna are the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), reports Antena3.
The Austrian government has promised to take measures to solve the espionage problem, by eliminating a loophole in the penal code that, in practice, allows spies to operate freely in the country as long as their activities do not directly target Austria’s interests.
Previously, the authorities in the Republic of Moldova took notice after a journalistic investigation indicated that the antennas on the Russian embassy in Chisinau were being used for espionage. As a result of the scandal, more than half of the employees of the Kremlin’s diplomatic mission were sent home.