Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the situation over the ex-Austrian colonel charged of spying for Russia.

According to him, this was an unpleasant surprise.

"This was an unpleasant surprise to me. It has been a custom from time immemorial for any country that feels some concerns or suspicions over actions by another country to ask for explanations directly in accordance with the rules of international communication. Lately, our Western counterparts have made it a rule not to use traditional methods but rather megaphone diplomacy. They accuse us in public and then demand public explanations over an issue we know nothing about,” TASS reported quoting Lavrov. 

According to Lavrov, it is essential to follow the rules that have been shaped in the process of international communication.

“We have invited Austria’s ambassador to the Foreign Ministry. We will draw his attention to what methods should be used, if they have any questions for Russia,” the FM noted.

As reported earlier, an ex-colonel of the country's armed forces was detained in Austria on charges of spying for Russia.  The colonel was supposed to collect information about the Austrian Air Force, artillery systems, the migration crisis, as well as detailed information on a number of high-ranking military. Every two weeks he contacted the Russian side with a man known as “Yuri.”