Russian embassy staff kicked out of Austria over rooftop satellite spying network
Months after acknowledging that Russia has been using satellite dishes – strategically placed on top of diplomatic buildings to spy on NATO and Western allies – Austrian authorities finally booted three Russian diplomats out of the self-proclaimed neutral nation.
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vienna, Austria. www.rusemb.at.
Months after acknowledging that Russia has been using satellite dishes – strategically placed on top of diplomatic buildings to spy on NATO and Western allies – Austrian authorities finally booted three Russian diplomats out of the self-proclaimed neutral nation.
- Austria expelled three Russian diplomats accused of running a rooftop satellite surveillance network from embassy buildings in Vienna.
- Officials say the setup could intercept sensitive communications from NATO and Western organizations operating nearby.
- The move signals a tougher stance as European countries crack down on Russian intelligence operations tied to the Ukraine war.
The three Russian diplomats, booted from their embassy posts in Vienna on Monday, are accused of installing an intelligence-gathering "antenna forest" on the roofs of diplomatic buildings to spy on Western nations.
“It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity be used to commit espionage,” Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said in a statement on Monday.
“We have communicated this to the Russian side in no uncertain terms, including as regards the forest of antennae at the Russian mission,” Meinl-Reisinger said.
The minister said all three suspects have since left the country, and, reportedly, the not-so-secret clusters of satellite antennas in Vienna have already been dismantled, although the exact number in operation has not been released by authorities.
In response, the Russian embassy posted a statement on its website vowing “harsh” retaliation, claiming the Austrian Foreign Ministry has presented “no evidence, much less proof of any alleged violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
“We consider this latest unfriendly move by the Austrian authorities to be completely unjustified, purely politically motivated, and categorically unacceptable,” it said.
The Russian embassy also called out Vienna for further deterioration of bilateral relations, which it said is “already at their lowest point in modern history.”
“Antenna forest” exposed on embassy rooftops
Austrian intelligence officials have been aware that “Russia has been steadily expanding its facilities in Vienna since the beginning of the war in Ukraine,” with the Foreign Ministry personally summoning the Russian ambassador about the matter in mid-April, according to Vienna public news agency ORF.
Furthermore, a senior European diplomat based in Vienna told the Kyiv Post in March that the Russian embassy was using the dishes to “target NATO government and military communications” and that Vienna, also home to the United Nations (UN) headquarters, was considered Moscow’s intelligence-gathering hub in Europe.
Intelligence authorities told the Ukrainian outlet that "new antennas and unusual rooftop structures" had recently appeared, with many of them being frequently repositioned, a sure sign of nefarious activity.
“That tells you they are actively tracking multiple satellites. Normal embassy dishes don’t move,” the official said.
Also raising concerns were the presence of “special movable lenses on receivers,” which are said to allow the satellites to cover a wider area than standard systems, as well as “small ‘huts’ used to conceal sensitive equipment.”
Apparently, after launching an investigation into the 3 embassy employees and revoking their diplomatic immunity, Russia was given a 14-day deadline to address the covert activity, which the Kremlin allegedly ignored, triggering the expulsion.
“In this government, we have implemented a change of course and are taking decisive action against espionage,” Meinl-Reisinger said about the investigation.
Austria tightens stance on Russian espionage
The Foreign Ministry is also taking additional steps to tighten Austria’s espionage laws, which, up until now, only covered espionage activities specifically targeting Austria’s interests – essentially allowing foreign spies to operate freely in the EU nation, the Guardian states.
A report by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism, citing damage to Austria’s “international reputation,” specifically mentions the Russian spy activity taking place in the Donaustadt district of Vienna, OLF reported.
The antennas were installed “on the roofs of the Russian embassy in the third district and on the Russian diplomatic compound in Donaustadt,” allowing Moscow to intercept data transmitted by international organizations via satellite internet, it said.
A complete list of locations where spy equipment was found, according to the Kyiv Post, was said to include:
- Russian embassy
- Russian diplomat compound on the Danube, informally dubbed “Russencity”
- Russian cultural center at Brahmsplatz
- Former sanatorium on Sternwartestrasse, once used by Stalin-era security services
- Low-profile apartment buildings near the Danube
Currently, about 220 accredited staff are working out of the Russian embassy in Vienna, with 14 Russian diplomats expelled by Austrian authorities since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Another 250 Russians are working out of the Austrian capital, fulfilling other diplomatic roles, including at the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
There are an estimated 7,000 secret agents (out of 17,000 accredited diplomats) said to be currently operating in Vienna, a city commonly referred to as the “spy capital of the world.”
Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.