Panic as Russia turns European city-break hotspot into ‘spying hub’

Vienna has become a 'hub' for Russian intelligence gathering, reports suggest (Image: Getty)

Russia is turning a popular European city-break spot into the centre of its surveillance operations on the continent, reports suggest. Vladimir Putin has significantly expanded his country's surveillance capabilities in Vienna in a bid to intercept sensitive communications, according to the Financial Times. Intelligence officials cited by the newspaper describe the Austrian capital as Russia's "European hub" for signals intelligence operations as NATO allies continue to oppose the Ukrainian invasion.

One senior European diplomat said Russia is monitoring the "governmental and military communications of NATO countries", with another intelligence operative suggesting antenna and satellite dishes have appeared in Vienna in growing frequency over the last two years. As well as its neutral status, Putin likely favours the city because of its relatively lenient approach to expelling Moscow officials after the Ukraine war broke out, with around 500 Russian diplomats thought to remain, up to one-third of whom are suspected of intelligence activity.

Vladimir Putin has reportedly been expanding Russia's surveillance presence in Vienna for years (Image: Getty)

The city regularly plays host to major international organisations including the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency, all of which have their own satellite terminals.

Security officials have reportedly noticed that antennae positioning tends to change before and after important events such as the Munich Security Conference - Europe's annual forum for debating international security policy.

While the country's foreign ministry has acknowledged the threat and said it is "working intensively" with security agencies, espionage cannot be prosecuted in Austria unless carried out against national interest.