Russia Vows Response After Italy Expels Two Military Attaches
MOSCOW- Russia said on Thursday it would respond to Italy’s decision to expel two military attaches from the Russian Embassy in Rome, after Italian authorities accused the officials of activities linked to alleged espionage and ordered them to leave the country within three days.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would take retaliatory measures, according to Russia’s RIA state news agency, following the Italian government’s announcement earlier on Thursday.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the government had decided to expel the two Russian military attaches over their alleged involvement in espionage-related activities. The officials have been instructed to leave Rome within three days.
The expulsions follow an investigation by Italian authorities that led earlier this week to the arrest of two people on charges of passing classified information to a Russian agent.
Italian prosecutors said the principal suspect is a former officer of the Carabinieri, Italy’s national military police force. They added that five other individuals are also under investigation in connection with the case.
In a post on social media platform X, Tajani said Russia continued to use what he described as “hybrid tools” against Italy and other Western countries. He called the alleged activities “serious and unacceptable interference” that posed a threat to Italy’s national security.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected the Italian move and said it would respond, without providing details on the nature or timing of any retaliatory action.
The latest dispute adds to a series of diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Western governments since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European countries have repeatedly expelled Russian diplomats over allegations of espionage and other activities considered incompatible with their diplomatic status, while Russia has typically responded with reciprocal expulsions.
Neither Italian authorities nor Russia’s Foreign Ministry provided further details on the specific allegations against the two military attaches beyond the statements issued on Thursday.
