ROME, July 12 — Against the backdrop of heightened tensions between NATO and Russia over the war in Ukraine, Italian authorities have unsealed details of an espionage case that led to the arrest of two Italian citizens and the expulsion of two Russian diplomats last year. The Carabinieri, Italy’s national gendarmerie, carried out the arrests on March 28, 2025, in Rome and Milan. The operation was directed by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office and led by Colonel Giuseppe De Luca of the Carabinieri’s ROS, the Special Operations Group.
The two Italian suspects are identified in court documents under the fictitious name Marco Bianchi, described as a former Italian military officer, and Luca Rossi, a civilian employee of a defense contractor. Italian authorities allege the two Russian diplomats expelled were Colonel Alexei Volkov and First Secretary Irina Petrova, both attached to the Russian embassy in Rome.
Prosecutors say Volkov and Petrova acted as handlers for the Italian suspects, receiving classified documents on Ukraine air defense systems. The suspects face charges under Article 256 of the Italian Penal Code, which carries a sentence of 15 to 24 years for espionage. The case has been under investigation by the ROS, the elite counterintelligence and anti-terrorism unit of the Carabinieri.
In the corridors of the Palazzo di Giustizia in Rome, prosecutors have described the case as a serious breach of national security, given the sensitivity of the material allegedly transferred. The classified documents concerned Ukraine air defense systems — information of direct operational value to Russian military planners.
The arrests and expulsions underscore the extent to which Russian intelligence services continue to operate across Europe, targeting NATO member states for military and technological secrets. Italy, with its defense industry and NATO installations, has long been a focus of such activity. The case also highlights the role of the Carabinieri’s ROS in counterintelligence.
Colonel Giuseppe De Luca’s team conducted the investigation that led to the coordinated arrests in Rome and Milan, working in close cooperation with the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office. The two Russian diplomats were expelled shortly after their alleged involvement came to light, a standard diplomatic response in such cases. Moscow has not publicly commented on the specific allegations against Volkov and Petrova.
The Italian judicial process is now underway. The suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues, with prosecutors expected to present further evidence in the coming months.
The case is likely to strain already frayed diplomatic relations between Rome and Moscow, and may prompt other European intelligence services to review their own counterespionage operations. For now, the Carabinieri’s ROS continues its work, and the wider picture remains one of persistent Russian intelligence activity across the continent — a reality that Italy’s security services are confronting with increasing public transparency.
