Russia Expels Italian Diplomats in Retaliation
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Russia has expelled two Italian diplomats from its territory, labeling them as undesirable individuals. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Vittorio Barella, the cultural attaché at the Italian Embassy in Russia, and his assistant, Davide Dabrieli, must depart Russian soil along with their families within a three-day period.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on its official website explaining that this decision is a direct retaliation for baseless requests to expel two Russian diplomats from Italy. The ministry emphasized that any hostile actions taken against Russian diplomats will not go unanswered.
Moscow reiterated its stance, stating, “We once again emphasize that any hostile or provocative behavior towards Russian diplomats will not remain unanswered by us.”
Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, further elaborated on the expulsion of the Italian military attaché and his assistant in comments to Sputnik news agency. She described the move as “a retaliatory measure and a response to Rome’s actions.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had announced on July 9th that Rome had expelled two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Italy, accusing them of involvement in espionage activities.
