Rising tensions between Italy and Russia following arrests for espionage by Rome prosecutors

New diplomatic tensions have arisen between Italy and Russia following recent espionage arrests, which prompted the Italian Foreign Ministry to expel two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome: Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov. The two officials were given three days to leave Italian territory.

The expulsions came shortly after the arrest of two former Italian intelligence officials accused of gathering and transmitting classified information to Moscow. According to Rome prosecutors and police, Astakhov was reportedly the main contact for the suspects and had discussed with Gavino Raoul Piras – a retired high-ranking Carabinieri officer with prior intelligence roles – Russia’s information requests and payment details.

This decision is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Italian government against Russian diplomatic personnel in recent years. In this case, the action was taken because the two officials were found to be involved in “activities deemed incompatible with the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the Farnesina (Italian Foreign Ministry) stated on Thursday. The announcement followed the summoning of Russian Ambassador to Rome Alexey Paramonov.

The measure will receive “an adequate response,” warned Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. In reply, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed that “the two people expelled from Italy were engaged in espionage activities damaging to national security: it was certainly not a whim of Italy’s.”

According to Tajani, “Russia can carry out all the retaliations it wants,” but any expulsion of Italian officials would amount to a political “vendetta” unless Moscow proves the individuals engaged in espionage. “Ours is a choice based on facts; theirs is political,” the Foreign Minister said.

Moscow may now summon Italian Ambassador to Russia Stefano Beltrame to inform him of the names of Italian officials to be expelled in retaliation. However, Russian authorities have not yet officially announced the nature of any countermeasures.

Ambassador Paramonov’s accusations

The diplomatic crisis was also fuelled by a harsh statement from Russian Ambassador to Italy Alexey Paramonov. On Telegram, he accused Italian diplomacy of seeking to reduce Moscow’s influence in the country and claimed that Italy today lacks political figures comparable to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“I was summoned again on 9 July to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the so-called Farnesina. Unlike many other places in Rome that I frequent, nothing good ever happens here,” Paramonov wrote.

According to the ambassador, “the grey eminence of Italian diplomacy, Secretary General Riccardo Guariglia, by expelling as many Russian diplomats as possible from the country, would like to limit Russia’s influence in Italy to the maximum extent.”

He argued that this goal is unattainable because “Russia can count on figures of the stature of Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov.” In contrast, “Italy, despite its immense potential in ideas and its political and humanistic heritage, today does not have figures of such caliber.” He concluded by hoping that such leaders would emerge again to restore Italy’s autonomy and prestige in foreign affairs.

Historical context of expulsions

The most recent prior public case of Russian diplomats being expelled from Italy, followed by a similar Russian response, dates to 5 April 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In coordination with other European and Atlantic partners, then-Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced the expulsion of 30 Russian diplomats declared persona non grata for national security reasons linked to the crisis.

Moscow’s response came about a month and a half later. On 18 May 2022, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned then-Italian Ambassador Giorgio Starace and expelled 24 Italian diplomats and staff. Since then, the Italian embassy has operated with reduced staff, and Moscow has adopted other reciprocal measures, including slowing accreditation procedures for Italian personnel.

Previous incidents include Russia expelling an Italian diplomat in April 2021 in response to “hostile measures” by Rome, following the arrest of Italian Navy officer Walter Biot (later sentenced to 20 years) for passing classified documents to a Russian official. Another case occurred in March 2018, when Moscow expelled two Italian embassy staff in solidarity actions related to the Skripal poisoning in the UK.

Hybrid attacks and political context

The affair has raised new concerns about Russian influence operations in Italy ahead of next year’s general elections. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the alleged espionage case as “the tip of a gigantic iceberg” of Moscow’s hybrid warfare against Italy, aimed at weakening its institutions, alliances, and security.

On Tuesday, Rome prosecutors stated they had gathered “concrete evidence of guilt” against Piras, who had been under surveillance since May 2025. Investigators say the former officer acquired and shared classified information through a network of six sources, including four active-duty military personnel in highly confidential roles.

In addition to those already arrested, five others are under investigation. Piras’s lawyer denied any wrongdoing, claiming the information shared with foreign diplomats was not classified.

The case comes months after Italian intelligence services alerted the European Parliament to an increase in “hostile initiatives” attributed to Moscow against European countries, including Italy. These include espionage, cyberattacks by pro-Russian actors, and disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining public trust in EU and NATO institutions.

The article in Italian by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.it can be found here.

Caption: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the press at the European People’s Party Summit in Brussels, Belgium, 18 June 2026. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO