By Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante /Reuters/ – Italy expelled two Russian diplomats on Wednesday after police said they had arrested an Italian navy captain caught passing documents to a Russian official in return for money at a clandestine meeting.
The Italian, a captain of a frigate, and the Russian, a military official accredited at the embassy, were accused of “serious crimes tied to spying and state security” after their meeting on Tuesday night, Italian Carabinieri police said.
The suspects were not identified.
Italy immediately summoned the Russian ambassador Sergey Razov and expelled two Russian officials believed to be involved in what Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called an “extremely grave matter”.
The Italian navy captain was taken into custody. Officials did not say whether the Russian army official who had met him was one of the two who were expelled.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted a Russian lawmaker as saying Moscow would reciprocate for the expulsions, standard practice in such cases.
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