This was stated by Silvia Mayer, director of Austria’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN), in an interview with the APA agency
The main espionage threat to Austria comes from the Russian Federation.
The Director of the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence of Austria (DSN), Sylvia Mayer, shared this in an interview, highlighting Moscow’s role in the country’s intelligence activities.
“The biggest espionage threat unquestionably comes from Russia”
– Sylvia Mayer
Mayer noted that about 13,000 diplomats work in Vienna. According to various estimates, more than 20% of diplomats from certain states effectively have ties to intelligence services; in her words, in Russia this figure could be correspondingly higher.
The head of DSN stressed that the intensification of Russian espionage activity is linked to the aggression against Ukraine, started as early as 2014 and sharply escalated in 2022. Since then Russia has sought to pursue its interests not only on the Ukrainian front but also in the European Union.
“This concerns us as well – through the intensification of espionage activities. It involves influence operations and disinformation in Austria, as well as an increased risk of cyberattacks and sabotage”
– Sylvia Mayer
According to Mayer, Moscow uses disinformation to reduce support for Ukraine in European society.
“Russia is interested in destabilizing the sense of security in Austria, as well as in polarizing society”
– Sylvia Mayer
She added that to achieve a greater effect, the Russian Federation actively employs conspiracy narratives that partly intersect with far-right tendencies.
“These are organized cells that, for example, conduct surveillance”
– Sylvia Mayer
In addition to diplomats, Russian intelligence services also use the so-called proxy actors – individuals or groups located on Austrian territory.
Context and Prospects
The head of DSN emphasized the need to improve Austria’s legislation to more effectively hold spies to account and strengthen the fight against foreign influence. She called for expanding criminal law regarding surveillance and influence operations by foreign intelligence services.
According to her, modernizing the legislative framework will allow Austria to better respond to espionage activity and prevent attempts at destabilization by foreign structures. Examples and risk assessments related to foreign influence on the country’s politics and security were also cited.
Discussing this topic underscores the relevance of strengthening international cooperation and internal mechanisms for monitoring foreign influence in today’s European environment.