There has for years been a controversial relationship between Austria and Russian intelligence. Due to domestic policies and a history of neutrality, Austria has for decades been a center for intelligence activities in Europe. Together with Belgium, it has been considered a hub for Russian intelligence.[1]
Austria's role in espionage, particularly as a base for Russian intelligence operations, has been noted by several media outlets. Washington Post has called Vienna "a haunt for spies",[2] while NBC stated it is "widely regarded as the spying capital of the world".[3] BBC has referred to it as a "centre for espionage".[4]New Statesman has described Austria as "Russia's tunnel into the heart of Europe" and that Austria is a "compromised state", with the country's attachment to neutrality leading it to cultivate "obsequious relations with Russian energy and espionage".[5] Because of this, Eastern Europeans have at times referred to Austria as "Russia's Trojan horse in Western Europe".[6]Financial Times have referred to the Austrian domestic intelligence agency BVT as "regarded as being so compromised that for a time it was cut out of much European intelligence sharing activity".[7]
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian influence and intelligence in Austria came under wider international and domestic scrutiny.[2]
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^Bell, Bethany (17 November 2018). "Vienna, nest of spies: Why Austria is still centre for espionage". BBC. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
^Hoare, Liam (12 April 2022). "Austria is Russia's tunnel into the heart of Europe". New Statesman. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
^"Austria is rethinking its cosy ties with Russia". The Economist. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference ft1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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