Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday that Italy is expelling two Russian embassy officials for espionage.
The decision comes after two former Italian intelligence officials were arrested this week for allegedly spying for Russia.
“The Italian government has decided to expel two military attachés from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Italy, who are responsible for the espionage activities uncovered in the investigation by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office,” Tajani said via X.
“The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just informed the Russian ambassador in Rome that Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov must leave Rome within three days.
“Moscow continues to use its hybrid weapons to attack the West and Italy.
“This is a serious and unacceptable interference with Italian institutions and national security.” Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency reported the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying Moscow “will respond” to the expulsion of the two military attachés.
Speaking later about a possible tit-for-tat response, Tajani said: “the problem is that the two individuals expelled from Italy were engaged in espionage activities that undermined our national security.
“And this has been proven,” he continued.
“It was not a whim on Italy’s part.
“Russia can take whatever retaliatory measures it wants; this is simply revenge.
“They must prove that the people they expel are actually spies.
“Our decision is based on facts; theirs is political”.
The Russian Ambassador to Rome Alexei Paramonov commented on the expulsions on his Telegram channel.
“By expelling as many Russian diplomats as possible from the country, Rome would like to limit Russia’s influence in Italy as much as possible, but this is impossible,” he said.
“Indeed, Russia can count on figures of the stature of Vladimir Putin and (Foreign Minister) Sergey Lavrov.
“Italy, on the other hand, despite its immense potential in terms of ideas and its political and humanistic heritage, currently lacks figures of such stature”.
“On July 9, I was further summoned to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Paramonov wrote.
He also posted a photo of himself in front of the Farnesina, holding a photo of Lavrov and a quote from him: “Sorry, but I’ll be swearing.” “Unlike many other places in Rome I happen to frequent, here, as always, nothing good happens,” the diplomat added.
