Austria Expels Four Russian Diplomats as Persona Non Grata

Austria's Foreign Ministry has decided to expel four Russian diplomats who "engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status," Austrian broadcaster ORF reported on Friday, October 23.

Three of the expelled diplomats are accredited to the Russian embassy in Vienna, and one belongs to Russia's delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The ministry said the diplomats had been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave the country.

The measures were based on intelligence gathered by the security services, the ministry said. It gave no further details about the reasons for the expulsions.

Earlier expulsions in Europe

In September, Hungary decided to expel 10 Russian diplomats, the first such move since 2018. In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it would expel staff of Hungarian diplomatic missions.

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