Italy arrests former intelligence officer in Russian spying probe

Italian police arrested two people in Rome, including a 59-year-old former Carabinieri officer who once worked in Italy’s intelligence community, on allegations that they passed protected information to a Russian agent. The two suspects were placed under house arrest, and prosecutors said five other people are under investigation in a probe that began in May 2025.

The arrests were carried out on July 7 by the Carabinieri’s ROS special operations unit, with support from the GIS special intervention group and the Rome provincial Carabinieri command. The Rome prosecutor’s office is handling the case alongside military prosecutors, in parallel criminal and military proceedings coordinated in the capital.

Investigators said the former officer allegedly used six sources to obtain information, including four serving members of the Italian military. The accusations include unauthorized access to information technology and telecom services, along with the transfer of protected material. Named prosecutors in the case include deputy prosecutor Lucia Lotti, military deputy prosecutor Antonella Masala and military prosecutor Enrico Peluso.

The Russian operative allegedly involved has diplomatic immunity in Italy, a detail that could complicate any direct questioning. There was no immediate comment from the Russian embassy in Rome. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto backed a hard line, saying Italy would show “zero tolerance” toward anyone who endangers national security.

Crosetto also tied the case to the wider strain between Rome and Moscow, saying it reflected Russia’s attitude toward Italy after the country provided military and civilian aid to Ukraine. The case arrives as European governments continue to warn about espionage, sabotage and other covert pressure linked to Russia since the war in Ukraine escalated.

Italy has already faced a major Russian spying scandal in recent years. In 2021, Italian navy captain Walter Biot was caught handing documents to a Russian embassy employee in a Rome car park, and Italy’s Supreme Court later confirmed a 20-year sentence in that case. That precedent gives the new investigation added weight because it again points to alleged Russian intelligence activity on Italian soil.

The broader institutional backdrop is equally stark. Italy’s 2007 intelligence reform created DIS, AISE and AISI, separating coordination, foreign intelligence and domestic intelligence functions. With a former intelligence-linked officer now accused of feeding information outward, the case puts renewed pressure on vetting, counterintelligence safeguards and the security of military sources inside one of NATO’s key European states.