Austrian energy group OMV has announced the dismissal of one of its executives suspected of spying for Russia, the magazine reported on Saturday. ProfileThe case led the Austrian Foreign Ministry to summon a Russian diplomat.
According to Profile, the employee concerned is said to have aroused suspicion due to repeated meetings with a Russian diplomat identified by Western services as a member of the FSB, Russia's domestic intelligence service. The Austrian Directorate for State Security and Intelligence is said to have monitored the OMV executive for several months.
OMV, which operates international oil, gas, and chemical businesses, confirmed to Reuters that it had terminated the employee's contract with immediate effect. The company added that it was cooperating fully with authorities.
"For data protection reasons, we cannot comment further on details regarding individual employment relationships," a spokesperson for the group said.
This latest episode comes amid a growing climate of mistrust in Europe over alleged infiltration and espionage attempts linked to Russia, while the war in Ukraine continues to fuel diplomatic tensions.
