MOSCOW: Russia has announced it will respond after Italy expelled two military attachés serving at the Russian Embassy in Rome over allegations of espionage, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Moscow would take reciprocal measures in response to Italy’s decision, according to Russia’s state-run RIA news agency. She did not elaborate on what action Russia intended to take.
The diplomatic dispute follows Italy’s decision to expel the two Russian officials, whom Rome alleges were involved in intelligence-related activities considered incompatible with their diplomatic status.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed the expulsions, saying the two military attachés had been ordered to leave the country within three days.
Writing on social media platform X, Tajani accused Moscow of continuing to employ “hybrid tools” against Italy and its Western allies.
He described the alleged interference as “serious and unacceptable”, saying it posed a threat to Italy’s national security. The expulsions come amid an ongoing Italian investigation into an alleged espionage network.
Earlier this week, Italian authorities arrested two individuals accused of passing classified information to a Russian intelligence operative. Prosecutors identified the principal suspect as a former officer of Italy’s Carabinieri national police force.
Five additional people are also under investigation as part of the same case, although prosecutors have not publicly disclosed further details about their alleged roles.
According to Reuters, the latest developments mark another deterioration in relations between Russia and European countries, many of which have tightened security measures and expelled Russian diplomats in recent years over allegations of espionage and covert influence operations.
Russia has repeatedly rejected similar accusations made by Western governments and has often responded with reciprocal diplomatic expulsions.
