{"id":204273,"date":"2026-09-17T20:23:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T17:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/204273\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T20:23:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T17:23:53","slug":"russian-diplomatic-spies-in-italy-targeted-belarusians-for-sabotage-newspaper-says","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/204273\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian diplomatic spies in Italy targeted Belarusians for sabotage, newspaper says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

September 17, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Russian diplomats in Italy collected sensitive information and tried to recruit citizens of Eastern European countries, including Belarus, for acts of sabotage across Europe, Il Riformista<\/em> reported with reference to the findings of an investigation by the prosecutor\u2019s office in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the investigators, Ivan Gorbachev and Mikhail Astakhov, who \u201coperated under diplomatic cover\u201d at the Russian embassy in Rome, spearheaded an espionage network that sought to recruit Eastern European nationals for attacks on military and civilian infrastructure and identify digital vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue became \u201cparticularly acute\u201d following a failed drone bomb attack at Leipzig Airport last month, whose suspected perpetrator was identified as a Belarusian man, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspect reportedly entered the European Union on an Italian tourist visa issued in Minsk in late April, holds a Russian passport and is known for offenses committed in the Baltic states. The other suspect is a man of Russian origin holding a Latvian passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attempted attack occurred on the night between August 4 and 5, with airport staff discovering an explosives-laden drone inside a restricted area of Leipzig Airport, close to a Ukrainian Antonov An 124 cargo aircraft used to transport weapons and ammunition for Ukraine\u2019s military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least two other drones were found during subsequent searches. One of them had collided with a DHL cargo plane, and fragments of the other carrying 50 grams of hexogen were found in a nearby field on August 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both suspects reportedly fled the EU after the incident, beyond the reach of investigators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany accused the Kremlin of orchestrating the attack and announced that it would close Russia\u2019s last remaining consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in Berlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moscow denied all accusations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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