Austria Orders Russian Diplomat Out Over Energy Spying Scandal
Austria has expelled a Russian diplomat after an investigation linked him to a major espionage case inside OMV, the country’s largest oil and gas company.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Kurier.
The diplomat, who was declared persona non grata, has already left Austrian territory, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
The move followed Vienna’s request to lift the diplomat’s immunity, which was rejected by the Russian embassy. Without the waiver, prosecutors were unable to pursue formal charges, prompting Austria to order his departure.
According to the Austrian media, the case centers on a now-dismissed OMV employee who had access to sensitive corporate information, including plans to phase out Russian gas and details of a multibillion-euro partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
The employee was placed under months of surveillance by Austria’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence after frequent meetings with the Russian envoy, who is suspected by several Western agencies of being an operative of the Russian FSB.
During a search of the employee’s residence, investigators seized a trove of internal and classified documents related to OMV’s operations and its international partners. The materials are now under review. The suspect remains free while the investigation continues.
Austria has previously ordered out Russian envoys for espionage-related activities, including two last year. Moscow has placed Austria on its list of “unfriendly states” in response to sanctions imposed over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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