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Italy Expels Two Russian Military Attachés Over Alleged Espionage
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Italy has ordered the expulsion of two Russian military attachés over their alleged involvement in espionage activities, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on July 9.
According to the statement published on the minister’s X, the two diplomats have been given three days to leave the country.
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Tajani said the decision was prompted by concerns over Russia's continued use of what he described as “hybrid weapons” against Italy and its Western allies.
The foreign minister characterized the alleged activities as “serious and unacceptable interference” that poses a threat to Italy's national security.
Italy's decision follows the recent arrest of two former Italian intelligence officers accused of spying for Russia. According to Corriere della Sera, retired Internal Information and Security Agency officials Gavino Raoul Piras and Vincenzo Di Pasquale were detained in Rome on July 7 on charges of espionage and unauthorized access to computer systems.
Prosecutors allege the two men passed sensitive information to a Russian intelligence operative in exchange for payment. The suspected handler is a Russian diplomat stationed in Italy and is protected by diplomatic immunity.
Investigators believe the espionage network relied on six separate sources, including four active-duty military personnel assigned to the Italian Defense Ministry's cyber command.
The Rome arrests come amid broader concerns over Russian intelligence efforts to obtain sensitive military information across Europe. In France, authorities recently detained a Belarusian national accused of filming a prototype drone at a factory producing equipment for both the French military and Ukraine.
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