Russian spy scandal in Rome: instead of apologizing, Kremlin expelled Italian diplomat

Russia said persona non grata to an Italian diplomat This will have to leave the country within 24 hours, in response to a similar decision taken by Rome in late March when it expelled two Russian officials over a serious espionage case.

The Russian Foreign Ministry today summoned Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terracciano to inform him that the Deputy Defense Attaché of the Italian Embassy, ​​Naval Attaché K. Pacifichi, has been declared persona non gratathe department headed by Sergey Lavrov said in a statement.

Moscow took this step “in response to unfriendly and unjustified measures by Italian authorities against the military attaché at the Russian Embassy in Rome”said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

March 31, Rome announced immediate expulsion of two Russian officials over serious espionage case which led to the arrest of an Italian officer for selling classified information.

An Italian naval officer was arrested the night before and a Russian armed forces officer detained for “serious crimes relating to espionage and state security” after “exchanging” classified information in exchange for money, “according to the Carabineros.

The police operation took place when the captain of the military navy frigate and an officer accredited to the Russian embassy were “blatantly caught immediately after the delivery of classified documents by the Italian officer in exchange for a sum of money” then that they were holding “a clandestine meeting”.

Rome’s reaction

The Italian government considers “unfounded and unjust” the decision of the Russian government to expel from the country an official of its embassy in Moscow in response to the measure taken on March 31.

“We have learned with deep regret the decision of the Russian Federation to expel the Deputy Naval Attaché from the Italian Embassy in Moscow on 24 hours’ notice,” the Italian Ministry of Affairs said today. foreigners.

“We consider the decision to be unfounded and unjust as it is in retaliation for a legitimate measure taken by the Italian authorities to defend their security,” he added in a brief statement posted on his website.

Although a response from Russia with a similar measure was expected, It was surprising that Moscow decided to expel a single official and that it took almost a month to announce the measure.

“This is an extremely serious act of hostility,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio said in explaining the decision to declare the two expelled officials undesirable.

The Italian military officer, accused of “serious crimes related to state security”, was on duty at the Defense Staff, the command which directs all the armed forces and where documents of military activities were filed Italian and NATO.

According to investigations by the Rome prosecutor’s office, revealed by local media, the documentation handed over by the captain of the military navy to the Russian officer refers to military telecommunications systems and the exchange price was 5,000 euros.

(With information from EFE)

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