Italy Orders Expulsion of Two Russian Military Attaches Over Espionage

Italy ordered the expulsion of two Russian military attaches on July 7, 2026, after prosecutors uncovered espionage tied to military aid for Ukraine. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani named the men as Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov and gave them three days to leave the country.

Tajani said the expulsions followed espionage activities identified by the Rome public prosecutor’s office.

He stated that Moscow continues to use hybrid warfare against the West and Italy, describing the interference as serious and unacceptable to Italian institutions and national security. The order came two days after Rome police announced the arrest of two former Italian intelligence agents.

One of the arrested men, a 59-year-old former intelligence officer, was paid by a Russian handler and passed information through six sources, including four serving military personnel in high-confidentiality posts.

Media reports said the information included details on the Italian-French SAMP/T air defence system scheduled for delivery to Ukraine in 2026 and on Aster missiles already sent to Kyiv. Russian handlers also requested information on a NATO mission in Bulgaria and on the Italian company Avio, which produces motors for drones and supersonic missiles.

Corriere della Sera reported that the 59-year-old provided the identities of Italian counter-espionage agents assigned to monitor Russians.

La Stampa said he supplied thousands of items of information over a 12-year period. A lawyer for the former officer denied any treason and said the man had gathered only publicly available information. The suspect was scheduled to be formally questioned on July 10.