Counterintelligence — 2026-07-07

Italian Authorities Arrest Former Intelligence Official and Carabinieri Officer in Russian Spy Network Probe

BLUFItaly's exposure of a Russian network that recruited four serving military personnel with sensitive access reveals systemic penetration, though additional charges among the five remaining subjects are unlikely within 90 days.

Rome prosecutors said Tuesday that Carabinieri ROS units arrested two former Italian intelligence (AISI) officers, identified by Il Fatto Quotidiano as 59-year-old Gavino Raoul Piras and 59-year-old Vincenzo di Pasquale, on charges of espionage for Russia and unauthorized computer access 123. Police said Piras drew classified material from six sources, including four active-duty military personnel in sensitive posts, and passed it for payment to a suspected Russian intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover in Italy 23. Five more individuals, four of them serving military members, remain under investigation in a probe Carabinieri ROS opened in May 2025 after an AISI counterintelligence lead 34. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the case part of a "daily hybrid conflict" aimed at weakening Italy's institutions 4.

Analysis
The arrests expose an active recruitment channel reaching four serving military personnel with sensitive access, not an isolated leak, and Rome's decision to run parallel civilian and military prosecutions signals prosecutors expect the network to yield further charges. Expansion to at least one of the five remaining subjects is unlikely within the next 90 days given the deliberate pace of Italian espionage cases and the likelihood that some subjects face administrative rather than criminal exposure. Moderate confidence reflects consistent sourcing on the network's structure but no visibility into COPASIR's classified review or the military prosecutor's evidentiary timeline. Crosetto's "hybrid conflict" framing signals the government will use the case to press NATO allies on counterintelligence resourcing regardless of how the remaining investigations resolve.
5 sources
  1. Italy Arrests 2 Over Alleged Spying for Russia - The Moscow Times
  2. Italy arrests ex-secret service agent accused of spying for Russia - The Local Italy
  3. "Spionaggio in favore della Russia", due arresti a Roma: tra loro un ex 007 italiano. Coinvolti anche 4 militari - Il Fatto Quotidiano
  4. Russia's alleged spy network in Italy puts counterintelligence back in focus - Decode39
  5. Former Intelligence official among two arrested for spying for Russia - ANSA

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