Italy expels two Russian military attachés for spying

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said that on 9 July, the Italian government took the decision to expel two military attachés at the Russian embassy in Rome who had been responsible for espionage activities carried out on behalf of Moscow.

Source: Tajani on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The secretary general of Italy's Foreign Ministry has informed the Russian ambassador in Rome that the two attachés, Ivan Gorbachev and Mikhail Astakhov, must leave Italy within three days.

The two Russian military attachés were responsible for espionage activities that were uncovered in the course of an investigation by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office.

Quote: "Moscow continues to use its hybrid weapons to attack the West and Italy. This constitutes serious and unacceptable interference in Italian institutions and national security."

Details: The decision to deport the attachés came after two former Italian intelligence officers were arrested in Rome on suspicion of spying for Russia. They are believed to have passed classified information to a suspected Russian intelligence operative who enjoys diplomatic immunity in Italy.

Background: Last week, two people – Chinese and Malaysian nationals – were detained in Sweden on suspicion of espionage.

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