Austria has long seen itself as a bridge between Moscow and the West — remaining constitutionally neutral since 1955 and hosting numerous UN and other international institutions.
But in recent years, it has had to deal with a slew of allegations concerning Russian espionage.
In the latest, researcher Dmitry Erokhin was accused of having links to Pravfond, a sovereign wealth fund which is under EU sanctions. It was set up by Moscow and is believed to have funded disinformation projects and defended espionage suspects.
Erokhin works at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) near Vienna and since 2019 has written on Arctic navigation, Chinese investment in Eastern Europe, misinformation and conspiracy theories.
He has collaborated with three other IIASA researchers, who all trained in Russia, according to information they shared on social media.
A recent investigation by Austrian daily Der Standard published in May, alleged that he headed an association from 2022 until 2024 dedicated to "promoting cultural, legal, and human values in general", headquartered at the same address as the Russian Cultural Institute in Vienna.
Erokhin used this association to operate a contact point for legal aid for the Russian diaspora in Austria and Pravfond paid him, the paper alleged, citing internal emails and documents.
The claims were part of a wider probe by a journalist consortium, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
That investigation led to the arrest of a Russian national linked to Pravfond in Denmark in June.
'No evidence'
The IIASA, which was founded during the Cold War to promote scientific exchanges between East and West, said it conducted an internal inquiry into the claims.
"IIASA found no evidence of wrongdoing on Mr. Erokhin's part," a spokeswoman said. "He is currently still employed by IIASA," she added.
The researcher "has denied involvement" with Pravfond and "intends to pursue legal action", the spokeswoman said.
Der Standard said it had received a lawyer's letter demanding Erokhin's name be removed from its online article but "no formal complaint".
"We see no reason to modify our report," the daily said.
Austria's foreign ministry confirmed Erokhin "still holds a valid visa" as the government "has no further information from police" incriminating him.
EU funds
The case has demonstrated the difficulties in prosecuting suspected spying cases under Austrian law when they are not "to Austria's detriment".
The conservative-led government, which came to power this year, has vowed "to widen" the scope of spying offences.
But so far it has not given any further details.
According to its 2024 report, the IIASA received more than $22 million in contracts and subsidies, some of which came from the European Union.
In April, the European Union's Court of Auditors criticised the lack of oversight to ensure that entities funded with European money adhered to EU values.
