Italy has arrested two people, including a former member of its intelligence services, for allegedly passing classified information to a Russian agent, the Rome prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said the main suspect, whom they did not name, was a 59-year-old former officer in the Carabinieri military police who previously worked in the intelligence community. The accusations include the transfer of protected information, as well as unauthorized access to IT and telecoms services.
Five other people are under investigation as part of a probe launched in May 2025.
Prosecutors claim the main suspect accepted money to pass information to a Russian agent. The suspect reportedly obtained that information from sources that included four active-duty members of the Italian military.
The Russian operative allegedly involved is protected by diplomatic immunity in Italy.
There was no immediate comment from the Russian Embassy in Rome.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the investigation helped expose Russia‘s true stance toward Italy, where the government has provided military and civilian aid to Ukraine since the 2022 invasion.
“This hybrid war is the tip of a gigantic iceberg, comprising external enemies and internal traitors who are prepared to sell out their nation for money, power or personal gain,” Crosetto wrote on X.
In 2021, Italian navy captain Walter Biot was caught handing documents to a Russian embassy employee in a Rome car park and was later sentenced to almost 30 years in prison.
