20.07.2026 23:20
Moscow's response to Italy's decision to expel Russian military attachés was not delayed. The Russian Foreign Ministry declared the Military Attaché Davide D'Aprile and his deputy, who serve at the Italian Embassy in Moscow, as "persona non grata" and decided to expel them. The Italian diplomats were given 3 days to leave the country.
Russia recently retaliated against Italy, which had expelled two Russian military attachés, applying the principle of reciprocity. Moscow declared two diplomatic staff members of the Italian Embassy in Moscow as "persona non grata."
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release that Italy had previously decided to expel the Russian military attaché and his deputy from the Russian Embassy in Rome. The statement noted that this decision by the Rome administration was "unfounded" and reported that Giovanni Scoppa, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Italian Embassy in Moscow, had been summoned to the Ministry.
72-HOUR DEADLINE GIVEN
The statement added that, in accordance with international diplomatic practices and the principle of reciprocity, Military Attaché Davide D'Aprile and his deputy Vittorio Parrella of the Italian Embassy in Moscow were declared "persona non grata." It was reported that the two diplomats and their family members were given 3 days (72 hours) to leave Russia.
The Moscow administration also issued a clear message in the statement: "Any hostile or provocative action against Russian diplomats will not remain unanswered."
TENSIONS BEGAN WITH ESPIONAGE ALLEGATIONS
The diplomatic crisis between the two countries escalated with a statement by Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani on July 9. Tajani announced that two military attachés from the Russian Embassy in Rome had been ordered to be expelled due to involvement in espionage activities. With Russia's latest move, diplomatic tensions between the two countries have reached a new level.