Austrian energy executive fired over alleged espionage ties to Russia
Illustrative photo: Russian spy caught in Austria (Getty Images)
Austria's oil, gas, and chemicals group OMV dismissed a senior executive over suspicions of spying for Russia, reports APA, Profil, and Reuters.
On September 19, the Austrian magazine Profil published an extensive investigation focusing on the executive, who drew the attention of Austrian counterintelligence after meeting with a Russian embassy employee.
The executive had worked at OMV for many years and was recently involved in a major €1 billion merger deal between two subsidiaries in Abu Dhabi. He reportedly shared information about the deal not only with OMV leadership but also with Russian intelligence.
It is currently unclear whether he acted alone or how long the alleged espionage lasted. Austrian authorities searched his residence and seized numerous internal company documents. A criminal investigation has been launched.
Statements from the Austrian government and OMV
Austria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the media that the Acting Chargé d’Affaires for Russia had been summoned. Russia was given a choice: either recall the diplomat suspected of espionage, or Austria would expel him.
The ministry said that the Russian side had been offered the chance to waive the diplomat's immunity.
OMV did not provide detailed comments, stating only that it is cooperating with law enforcement and would not share further information "for data protection reasons."
Recently, a man was arrested in Riga, Latvia, for passing secret information on military sites and NATO presence to Russia. Earlier, a Russian spy network was uncovered in the United Kingdom, collecting classified information.
