Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday without giving specifics.
Two of the four diplomats declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave the country by February 8 at the latest are stationed at the Russian Embassy to Austria while, the other two work at the Russian mission to the United Nations in Vienna, the ministry said in a statement.
-
-
World-Class Chefs, Food And Music: The Fun Side Of NDTV World Summit 2026 -
AI, Consciousness And Dharma: Why Ancient Indian Wisdom Matters Now -
NDTV World Summit: What To Expect From PM Modi's Keynote Address -
NDTV World Summit 2026: What To Watch Out For | PM Modi, Jaishankar, AI And Global Power Shifts -
A World Between Orders: What To Expect At NDTV World Summit 2026 -
Who Is Rajiv Mehta? Lilavati Hospital Trustee To Speak At NDTV World Summit 2026 -
Alain Ebobisse, Africa50 CEO, To Attend NDTV World Summit 2026. All About Him -
Kriti Sanon At NDTV World Summit: A Look At Her Career And Business Ventures -
Ex-CIA Director To Decode 'War In Times Of AI' At NDTV World Summit -
Who Is Vikram Rai, CEO, South Asia GE Aerospace, Set To Attend The NDTV World Summit 2026
"Two diplomats at the Russian embassy have acted in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status. They were therefore declared unwelcome persons (personae non gratae) in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the ministry said.
The two working at the Russian mission to the UN acted in a way that was inconsistent with the host country agreement between the United Nations and Austria, it added.
The ministry did not say specifically what any of the diplomats had done, and a spokeswoman declined to comment.
Vienna is a major diplomatic centre hosting both the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Larger countries like Russia and the United States often have separate ambassadors to Austria, the OSCE and the UN organisations, each running an embassy or permanent mission.
The city, which was divided into Allied sectors after World War Two, also has a long-standing reputation as a den of spies. The large diplomatic presence offers the opportunity to station intelligence agents there under a diplomatic cover granting them diplomatic immunity.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
