Italy has decided to expel two military attachés of the Russian Federation, accused of espionage activities, announced on Thursday the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani.
“The Italian government has decided to expel two military attachés of the Russian Federation Embassy in Italy, involved in espionage activities uncovered by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office“, Tajani conveyed in a post on platform X, according to AFP.
The two diplomats, identified as Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov, have three days to leave Italy.
The Italian Minister accused Moscow of “continuing to use hybrid warfare to attack the West and Italy,” describing these actions as “serious and unacceptable” for the country’s institutions and national security.
The investigation targets the leak of military information
The expulsions take place two days after the Italian authorities announced the arrest of two former intelligence agents, suspected of providing Russia with confidential information regarding the military aid granted to Ukraine.
According to the Italian police, one of the suspects, a former 59-year-old intelligence officer, is believed to have been paid by a Russian agent and to have passed on information obtained from six sources, including four military personnel in positions of high confidentiality.
The Italian press reports that among the information transmitted could be details about the SAMP/T anti-aircraft defense system, developed by Italy and France and intended for Ukraine, as well as about the Aster missiles already delivered to Kiev. Also, Russia would have sought to obtain information about a NATO mission in Bulgaria and about the Italian company Avio, a manufacturer of engines for drones and supersonic missiles.
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