An Italian navy officer has been accused of espionage after details emerged about a scheme in which the Italian officer handed secret documents to Russian military officials. The men were stopped by military police on suspicion of serious crimes relating to state security. The Italian navy officer has been arrested after the carabinieri del Ros special operations group dropped in on a clandestine meeting between the Italian and Russian individuals. Russian ambassador Sergey Razov has been called to the foreign ministry in Rome.
The Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio stated that the Russian officials involved in the affair were being expelled immediately, adding that he hopes the positive relationship between the two countries will continue. Russia’s foreign ministry will likely respond to the allegations and explosions later this week. The two men were directly caught transferring Italian documents in exchange for money, according to the carabinieri del Ros special operations group.
Read More: Italian officer ‘caught selling secrets to Russia’