Why it matters. Italy is no longer treating Russian espionage as a diplomatic irritant. The government’s language points to a broader reading: intelligence operations, diplomatic cover and hybrid tools are now seen as part of the same pressure campaign against NATO countries.
What happened: Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday that Italy had decided to expel two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome, Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov, over alleged involvement in espionage activities that emerged from an investigation by Rome prosecutors. The two officials have been ordered to leave within three days.
- In Tajani’s words, Moscow “continues to use its hybrid weapons to attack the West and Italy,” calling the interference “serious and unacceptable” for Italian institutions and national security.
- Moscow said it would give an “adequate response,” signaling the likely start of another round of reciprocal diplomatic measures.
The investigation. The expulsions are tied to a Rome espionage probe involving alleged contacts with Russian intelligence channels. According to Italian and international press reports, the case includes allegations that sensitive Italian and NATO-related material may have been targeted or passed to Russian handlers.
- The diplomatic status of military attachés has long offered intelligence services a useful gray zone: official visibility, privileged access and, in some cases, a degree of protection from prosecution. Declaring them personae non gratae is therefore both a security measure and a political signal.
- For Italy, the signal is twofold. To Moscow, it says that diplomatic cover will not shield hostile activity. To NATO allies, it says Rome sees Russian intelligence operations on Italian soil as part of the broader confrontation opened by the war in Ukraine.
The bigger picture: Italy has seen this pattern before. In 2021, Rome expelled two Russian diplomats after the arrest of Italian Navy officer Walter Biot, who was accused of passing classified documents to a Russian military official in exchange for money.
- Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European governments have repeatedly moved against suspected Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. The issue has become more urgent as European security services warn of a wider Russian toolkit that includes espionage, sabotage, cyber operations and information warfare.
The strategic dimension. Rome’s decision comes at a time when Italy is trying to strengthen its role inside NATO and the EU on hybrid threats, from disinformation to cyber operations and the protection of sensitive infrastructure.
- The wording used by Tajani matters: by calling Moscow’s activities “hybrid weapons,” Italy is placing the case beyond ordinary spycraft and inside the strategic competition between Russia and the West.
What we’re watching: The immediate next step is Moscow’s retaliation, likely through the expulsion of Italian diplomatic personnel. The more important question is whether the Rome investigation will reveal a wider network of contacts, vulnerabilities or attempted access to defense and intelligence material.
- This is not just about two Russian officials leaving Rome. It is about Italy drawing a harder counterintelligence line at a moment when Russia’s war against the West is increasingly fought below the threshold of open conflict.
