Italian authorities have arrested two people, one of them a former intelligence agent, suspected of providing classified information to Russian agents, the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said the main suspect, whom they did not name, was a former officer aged 59 in the Carabinieri military police who had worked as part of the intelligence community.
The charges include the transfer of protected information, as well as unauthorized access to information and telecommunications technology services, Al Arabiya reported from Reuters (8/7).
Five other people have been placed under investigation as part of an inquiry launched in May 2025.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the investigation helped reveal Russia's true attitude towards Italy, where the government has provided military and civilian aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.
"This hybrid war is the tip of a giant iceberg, consisting of external enemies and internal traitors who are ready to sell their country for money, power, or personal gain," Crosetto wrote on X.
The main suspect is accused of receiving money for providing information to Russian agents obtained from his sources, which include four active Italian military members.
On the other hand, the Russian agents allegedly involved are protected by diplomatic immunity in Italy.
There was no immediate comment from the Russian embassy in Rome.
Previously, Italian authorities also secured a citizen of their country in connection with the provision of documents to Russia.
Italian Navy Captain Walter Biot was arrested in 2021, after being caught handing documents to a Russian Embassy employee in a car park in Rome. He was later sentenced to almost 30 years in prison.
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