Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats linked to espionage, official says

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Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats linked to espionage, official says

2026-10-23 20:21 Last Updated At：20:30

VIENNA (AP) — Austria on Friday ordered four Russian diplomats to leave the country after accusing them of espionage, an Austrian official said.

Austria — and particularly Vienna, its capital — has long been considered a hotbed for spying because of lenient espionage laws and a high concentration of diplomats, given the many international organizations based in the city.

The Austrian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said the expulsions were linked to espionage and that the diplomats were told to leave in the coming days.

Austria’s Foreign Ministry said that three of the four were diplomats at the Russian Embassy in Vienna while the fourth was based at Moscow’s mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The ministry, in a brief statement, said the Russian diplomats had “engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status” and had therefore been declared personae non gratae. The ministry did not provide further details about the diplomats or their alleged activities.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky told the state-run Russian news agency TASS that “a reaction is unavoidable.”

The move brings the number of expelled Russian diplomats since 2020 to 18.

In May, Austria expelled three Russian Embassy employees who were suspected of espionage by using antennas on Russian diplomatic buildings, according to the Austrian Foreign Ministry. The installations allowed Russia to intercept data transmitted by international organizations based in Vienna via satellite internet, Austria's public broadcaster ORF reported at the time.

European nations and Russia have expelled each other’s diplomats on several occasions since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Austria has given aid to Ukraine but not military equipment since it has a policy of military neutrality.

Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and her liberal Neos party have frequently called for taking a tougher stance on Russian espionage in Austria, including calling for an overhaul of Austria’s espionage legislation.

The legislation now in place punishes espionage by foreign services only if it targets Austrian interests.

An overhaul of the legislation is still being worked out and negotiated by the Austrian government, which aims to expand the punishment for espionage to include actions directed not only against Austria itself but also against international organizations.

Austria is a European Union member that has a policy of military neutrality.

Vienna is host to several U.N. agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as other international groups such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and OPEC.

The Israeli army says 2 soldiers were killed in West Bank attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army says two soldiers were killed in an attack in the occupied West Bank on Friday that also left two suspected gunmen dead.

The army said two soldiers, Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, were killed and three others were lightly wounded during an attack by Palestinian gunmen.

The army said it had prevented a “terror attack against Israeli civilians” and that the two suspects, both Palestinians from Hebron, were armed with an M16 rifle and a handgun.

It said the men arrived at an Israeli military position in the morning, triggering an exchange of fire lasting approximately 20 minutes, after which the gunmen were killed by Israeli troops. The army said its forces prevented the men from advancing further where the attack could have resulted in civilian casualties.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back for updates. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Israel’s military said its soldiers shot and killed two men who had launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. At least five people were injured, including some critically.

The military set up roadblocks and closures in Palestinian towns in the area.

Emergency responders said five people were injured, some critically and were being evacuated to hospitals in Israel. A statement from the responders said gunfire was ongoing as they arrived at the scene of the attack near the Yehuda Junction.

Two men in their 20s had gunshot wounds to their lower limbs, one was unconscious and seriously injured, the responders said.

The deadly shooting comes as Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Benjamin Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister — or usher in a new era of Israeli politics. The election comes three years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza,