Three Russian Diplomats Expelled from Austria Suspected of Signals Intelligence Spying Through an ‘Antena Forest’ on Top of Embassy

The Russian embassy in Vienna is reportedly collecting SIGINT.

During the dark days of the Cold War, Vienna became a premier hub for espionage because Austria’s ‘permanent neutrality’ allowed CIA, KGB, MI6, and other agencies to operate with unusual freedom.

Austrian law criminalized spying only against Austria itself, not foreign powers.

While those days are long gone, reports have arisen over the alleged work of signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection operated from the Russian embassy’s ‘antenna forest’.

Yesterday (4), Austria declared three Russian diplomats persona non gratae over spying allegations.

Austria EXPELLS 3 Russian diplomats over alleged ‘ANTENNA FOREST’ on diplomatic buildings — Reuters, citing Austrian MFA

They believe that those antennas are used to ‘commit espionage’ pic.twitter.com/UbDQBOu43U

— RT (@RT_com) May 4, 2026

Reuters reported:

“Numerous ‌satellite dishes placed on buildings used by the Russian state in Vienna, particularly a residential complex for diplomatic staff, have long attracted the attention of Austria’s main ​domestic intelligence service, which has warned for years they could be ​used to intercept other states’ satellite communications.

‘It is unacceptable that ⁠diplomatic immunity be used to commit espionage’, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said ​in a statement confirming that the three diplomats had already left the ​country. It brings to 14 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020.”

The Russian embassy in Vienna said that Moscow would react harshly to Austria’s decision, ‘justified by nothing’.

“Asked ‌at ⁠a press conference why the installations posed a particular threat, Sylvia Mayer, head of the main domestic intelligence service, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, said only it had to do with their size and nature, ​and did not ​comment on the ⁠timing of the expulsions.

Vienna is a major diplomatic center, hosting the OSCE and United Nations organizations such as the International ​Atomic Energy Agency.”

The story about Austria removing Russian spies/diplomats over the antennas on the embassy is a bit surprising. I mean, why only now?

Have you ever seen a roof of any Russian embassy/consulate in Moldova or Belgium or Madrid?
It is usually covered with antennas like a hedgehog,… pic.twitter.com/2WDpGgRHTx

— Pepel Klaasa (@pepel_klaasa) May 4, 2026

Read more:

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