Italy and Russian Espionage
Italy and Russian Espionage By Paolo Falconio Italy, due to its strategic position and its role in NATO and the EU, has long been a prime target for Russian espionage activities—an endeavor that is anything but benevolent, as one might expect. Over the past ten years, at least eight significant cases of Russian intelligence operations on Italian soil have been documented, often linked to NATO interests. These intelligence activities are not merely Cold War relics but a current and sophisticated reality that exploits the digital and social vulnerabilities of modern democracies. Italy is no exception. In the 1960s and 1970s, according to the Mitrokhin dossier, around 140 KGB agents operated in Italy, often under diplomatic or journalistic cover, with support from the Italian Communist Party (PCI). Their goal was to obtain industrial secrets from companies like Fiat, Olivetti, and Eni. Today, Russian agencies (SVR, GRU, FSB) conduct human intelligence (Humint) operations, attempting ...