Russian Military Official, Italian Navy Officer Detained In Italy In Spying Case

Italian police said on March 31 that they had detained an Italian Navy captain together with a Russian military official on suspicion of spying.

The Italian Foreign Ministry later said it had summoned Russian Ambassador Sergei Razov over the case.

“Carabinieri intervened during a clandestine meeting between the two, caught immediately after the transfer of a document by the Italian officer in exchange for a sum of money,” the police force said in a statement on March 31.

Russia’s embassy in Rome confirmed that an employee of its military attache’s office had been detained, adding that “details of the case are being clarified.”

It also expressed hope that “the case will have no effect” on Russian-Italian relations.

Police said the meeting between the Italian frigate captain and the Russian official took place late the previous day.

Both are suspected of “serious crimes tied to spying and state security,” according to the statement.

It said the Italian officer was taken into custody, while “the position of the foreign national is still under consideration in relation to his diplomatic status.”

Relations between Russia and NATO member states have been hit by a number of spy scandals in recent years amid heightened tensions between Moscow and the West.

Last week, Bulgaria expelled two Russian diplomats for carrying out activities “incompatible” with their diplomatic status, after authorities in the NATO member state busted an espionage group passing military secrets to Russia.

Moscow called the Bulgarian move “groundless.”

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, Corriere della Sera, and Interfax