Austrian oil and gas company OMV announced on Monday, September 22, that it had dismissed an employee accused of spying for Russia, corroborating earlier reports from local media.
In recent years, Austria has faced multiple incidents of suspected Russian espionage. According to OMV CEO Alfred Stern
It’s correct that we have terminated the employment contract with the employee concerned.
Last week, Austrian magazine Profil reported that an OMV employee from Eastern Europe regularly met with a Russian diplomat. It added that the judiciary has requested the government “to lift the diplomat’s immunity.”
In its 2024 annual report, Austria’s domestic intelligence service described Russia’s embassy in Vienna as one of Moscow’s largest missions in Europe and a “strategically important hub” for espionage.
Back in 2018, OMV signed a long-term natural gas supply agreement with Russian company Gazprom, originally set to last until 2040. But following the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Austria gradually scaled back its ties with Moscow and terminated the contract in December.
The early termination cost OMV ‘hundreds of millions’ of euros, the company’s CEO confirmed.
According to Profil, the decision ‘did not please’ Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In recent weeks, several alleged Russian espionage cases have emerged across Europe. In the UK, three people were arrested near London on September 17 on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence, while in Latvia, authorities detained a man suspected of revealing NATO troop locations and other sensitive information to Moscow.
