Austria's foreign ministry said on Friday it was expelling four Vienna-based Russian diplomats over "activities incompatible with their ​diplomatic status", a term usually used for spying.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, three of them worked at Russia's embassy to Austria ⁠and one at the Russian delegation to the Organization for ​Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on military security and arms control, the ​ministry said.

"Based on findings ‌by the Austrian security authorities, the Austrian foreign ministry has taken measures against four Russian diplomats in Vienna," it said in a statement, adding that they ​had been declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave ​the country.

The move brings to 18 the number of Russian diplomats Austria has expelled since 2020. While Austria is a neutral country, politically its governments have sided ​with Ukraine since Russia launched its all-out invasion in 2022.