The Austrian Foreign Ministry has declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata in connection with the case of a top manager of the OMV oil and gas company suspected of working for the Russian security services. This is reported by the publication Kurier.
The Office specified that the diplomat has already left the country.
Earlier, the Austrian Ministry of Justice asked to lift his immunity for the investigation, but the Russian Embassy refused to do so.
According to media reports, the dismissed OMV employee had been under surveillance by Austrian state security for several months, meeting with a Russian diplomat, whom Western intelligence agencies believe to be an agent of Russia’s FSB. During searches of the Austrian’s home, secret documents were found.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by Russian state media, said Moscow would respond in a mirror-like manner and would soon expel one of the Austrian diplomats.
Austria last year declared two Russian diplomats persona non grata. The country’s Foreign Ministry said it was done due to activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. This is usually what is known in diplomatic parlance as espionage under diplomatic cover.
Russia put Austria on the list of unfriendly states for the sanctions imposed on Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.