{"id":72833,"date":"2026-07-10T08:42:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T08:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2026\/07\/10\/italy-busts-russian-spy-ring-collecting-data-on-ukrainian-air-defense-vulnerabilities\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:55:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:55:32","slug":"italy-busts-russian-spy-ring-collecting-data-on-ukrainian-air-defense-vulnerabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2026\/07\/10\/italy-busts-russian-spy-ring-collecting-data-on-ukrainian-air-defense-vulnerabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy busts Russian spy ring collecting data on Ukrainian air defense vulnerabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ROME \u2014 Russia has told one of its spies in Europe to find out more about air defense capabilities western nations are sending to Ukraine, Italian investigators have reported after breaking up an alleged espionage ring in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Police who filmed and wiretapped an alleged Russian military intelligence officer quizzing an accused informant in Italy heard him demanding information on systems like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2026\/04\/21\/denmark-to-receive-first-sampt-ng-air-defense-system-in-2028\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2026\/04\/21\/denmark-to-receive-first-sampt-ng-air-defense-system-in-2028\/\">Europe\u2019s Samp-T<\/a>, which has been given to Kyiv, and the Michelangelo Dome, an air defense system developed by Italy\u2019s Leonardo due to be tested in Ukraine in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Russian accused of being an officer with Russia\u2019s military intelligence agency GRU was followed as he met with Gavino Piras, 59, a former member of Italy\u2019s secret service, who was arrested this week along with a second former Italian intelligence official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Piras is accused of using cash supplied by the Russian official, Mikhail Astakov, to recruit informants in the Italian military who fed him secret information Astakov asked for. Five alleged informants are under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court documents seen by Defense News allege that Astakov \u2014 who was a military attach\u00e9 at the Russian embassy in Rome \u2014 gave Piras lists of information requests from his superiors at secret meetings and was given microSD cards packed with information which were left in a hole in a wall for collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Russian paid out \u20ac4,000 ($4,600) in cash for each package of information, the investigators said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll that I can give you, I will give you, tell your boss that,\u201d Piras told Astakov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The requests show a determination to find out exactly how Europe was helping Ukraine defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following a demand for information about the European Samp-T air defense system supplied by Italy and France to Ukraine, Piras refers to data about the battery he has passed over, and he also fields requests about the MBDA CAMM-ER air defense missile, which Ukraine is in talks to assemble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Astakov also asks about Leonardo\u2019s planned Michelangelo Dome, an air-defense system designed with open architecture to allow partner countries to link existing assets and make them interoperable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leonardo management has said the system will be trialed in Ukraine in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One note delivered in September 2025 requested information on a variety of topics including \u201cEfficiency of attacks on Iranian nuclear structures, damage to the program, prospects of work restarting,\u201d as well as Italy\u2019s plans to purchase Storm Shadow missiles, rearmament plans for Italy, EU and NATO, \u201cPriorities and objectives of EU defense\u201d and \u201cHelp for Ukraine to build long distance missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Russian was also curious about a Leonardo sub-sea drone he says the firm is testing in La Spezia in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the transcripts reported in the court documents, Piras tells the Russian that British, not Italian, intelligence is assisting Ukraine in its long range strikes against Russia oil facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Piras also claims that Italian experts are studying the workings of the Russian T90 tank. \u201cThey don\u2019t understand how the machine gun mounted on it works autonomously. If they manage to steal the secret they will, so be careful,\u201d he tells Astakov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2025, Astakov requested information on Avio, the Italian propulsion firm, months after it partnered with the US Army to supply missile solid rocket motors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Piras was arrested on Tuesday, his lawyer denied he had passed any classified information to Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, the Italian government announced it was expelling two Russian military attaches working at the Russian embassy, including Astakov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMoscow continues to use hybrid warfare to attack the West and Italy,\u201d said Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani. \u201cThis is serious and unacceptable interference in Italian institutions and national security,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russia has told one of its 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