The diplomats have acted "in a manner incompatible with their diplomatic status," the ministry said without providing further details, adding they had until March 19 to leave the country.

The Russian embassy in Vienna said it was "outraged" by Austria's "purely political" decision, adding it had not been "presented with even the slightest bit of evidence".

"A decisive response by Moscow cannot be in any doubt," it said on Telegram, blaming Vienna over "the further degradation of bilateral relations".

Before Moscow invaded Ukraine, diplomatic expulsions had been rare in the neutral EU member, which had enjoyed close relations with Russia.

Austria had already expelled four Russian diplomats in February 2023, including two accredited with the United Nations in Vienna.

Russia retaliated by expelling four Austrian diplomats.

Austria also expelled four Russian diplomats in April 2022 as part of a coordinated EU reaction after the discovery of alleged killings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.

Before that, Austria expelled a Russian diplomat accused of espionage in April 2020.

The country of nine million has traditionally seen itself as a bridge between the East and West.