On September 30, 2025, Austria expelled a Russian diplomat declared persona non grata by Austria's Foreign Ministry after Moscow refused to lift his diplomatic immunity for an investigation. The diplomat, an employee of the Russian embassy in Vienna, was implicated in a spy scandal involving OMV, Austria's largest energy company. Austrian counterintelligence discovered the diplomat regularly met with a top OMV manager suspected of passing confidential company data to Russia. Searches led to the seizure of internal company documents from the diplomat, and a criminal case has been opened. Western media reports indicate the number of Russian diplomats in Vienna has increased from 400 to over 500 in recent years, many engaged in espionage, turning Austria into an effective hub of Russian spy activity in Europe. The Kremlin continues to use diplomatic cover for espionage despite expulsions from various European countries, with hundreds of 'diplomat-spies' posing a security threat to Austria and Europe overall.

On September 30, 2025, Austria expelled a Russian diplomat declared persona non grata by Austria's Foreign Ministry after Moscow refused to lift his diplomatic immunity for an investigation. The diplomat, an employee of the Russian embassy in Vienna, was implicated in a spy scandal involving OMV, Austria's largest energy company. Austrian counterintelligence discovered the diplomat regularly met with a top OMV manager suspected of passing confidential company data to Russia. Searches led to the seizure of internal company documents from the diplomat, and a criminal case has been opened. Western media reports indicate the number of Russian diplomats in Vienna has increased from 400 to over 500 in recent years, many engaged in espionage, turning Austria into an effective hub of Russian spy activity in Europe. The Kremlin continues to use diplomatic cover for espionage despite expulsions from various European countries, with hundreds of 'diplomat-spies' posing a security threat to Austria and Europe overall.