Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs stated on Thursday that it is revoking the diplomatic status of three staff members at the Russian embassy in Vienna, as well as one employee of the Russian consulate in Salzburg "due to the fact that their activities have not been in accordance with their diplomatic status." Meanwhile, the Russian Ambassador to Austria Dmitry Lyubinsky claimed Austria has not provided any evidence of illegal activities by the Russian staff.

The diplomats have been declared personae non gratae and given until April 12 to leave the country. Austria is the latest in a line of European states that have decided to expel Russian diplomats, with Latvia and Lithuania also downgrading their relations with Moscow.