Diplomatic rift amid spy scandal
On July 9, 2026, Italy took a sharp step towards cooling relations with Russia. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced the expulsion of two staff members from the Russian Embassy's military attaché office. The decision was based on materials from the Rome prosecutor's office, which uncovered activities incompatible with diplomatic status. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made it clear that the diplomats must leave the country within 72 hours.
The situation escalated from routine diplomatic correspondence into a full-blown international incident. Activities in Rome were classified by law enforcement agencies as espionage. This decision was the result of coordinated actions by the Carabinieri Special Operations Group (ROS) and the Agency for Information and Internal Security (AISI).
Investigation details: from arrests to charges
At the center of the scandal were two military attaché staff members — Ivan Gorbachev and Mikhail Astakhov. They have been declared persona non grata. However, behind this decision lies a more complex chain of events. Earlier, Italian investigators arrested two Italian citizens — former employees of national intelligence services.
According to the prosecution, these individuals carried out unauthorized access to state information systems and systematically transmitted classified information to representatives of a foreign party. It was Gorbachev and Astakhov, who possess diplomatic immunity, who were named as the recipients of these data sets. The investigation qualifies these actions under Article 251 of the Italian Criminal Code, which provides for liability for political or military espionage.
Positions of the parties: protecting sovereignty and the threat of retaliatory measures
Minister Tajani, in his official comment, did not mince words. He called the revealed facts interference in the state's internal institutions and noted the use of hybrid methods aimed at destabilizing national security. The Italian side emphasizes that it is acting strictly in accordance with international law to protect its sovereign interests.
Moscow's reaction was quick but restrained. The Russian Embassy in Rome refrained from detailed comments on the merits of the accusations. However, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, clearly outlined the position at a briefing: the Russian side has recorded the actions of the Italian authorities and reserves the right to apply mirror countermeasures. This means that in the near future, staff of the Italian diplomatic mission in Moscow may also expect unpleasant surprises, which is an established practice in interstate relations.
Legal background: how the persona non grata mechanism works
The procedure launched in Rome is strictly regulated by international law. According to Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the receiving state has the right at any time to notify the accrediting state that a member of the diplomatic staff is unacceptable. In this case, an explanation of the reasons is not required, although Italy provided a detailed justification.
After such notification, the diplomat's functions in the host country cease. In the current case, the regulations prescribe that Gorbachev and Astakhov leave Italy within three days. At the same time, two former Italian intelligence officers are in custody by court order, and investigative actions against them continue under Article 251 of the Italian Criminal Code.
