Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to expel two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome. They are accused of espionage activities on behalf of Moscow. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made the announcement.
According to the head of the Italian Foreign Ministry, the decision was made on Thursday, July 9. The diplomats Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov must leave Italian territory within three days. The Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already informed the Russian ambassador in Rome of the decision.
Tajani described Russia’s actions as “serious and unacceptable interference” in Italy’s internal affairs. He stressed that Moscow continues to use “hybrid tools” against Italy and the entire West, posing a threat to national security.
The expulsion is linked to an investigation by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office. Earlier, on July 7, two former Italian intelligence officers were arrested in Italy. They are suspected of selling classified military information — possibly including NATO-related data — to a Russian agent for money.
This is not the first case of diplomatic expulsions between Russia and Western countries amid tensions over the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has already stated that it will respond in kind.
Italian authorities emphasize that such measures are aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty and security.