Austrian officer spied for Russians

The Austrian authorities suspect a former army officer of having spied for Russia for decades.

The lieutenant colonel, who is now retired, would have received around € 300,000 for confidential information. The first contact with the Russians was already laid in 1988, according to the newspaper Kronen Zeitung. The Austrian authorities tracked the alleged spy after a tip from a foreign service.

A planned trip from Minister Karin Kneissl (Foreign Affairs) to Moscow was canceled because of the affair. It should actually have taken place in early December.