Italy accuses two people spying for Russia

Italian prosecutors said Wednesday that they had opened cases against two people accused of spying for Russia "for the purposes of terrorism and subversion".

In a statement, the Milan public prosecutor's office said that it was initiating criminal proceedings for suspected "corruption of (Italian) citizens by a foreign actor" against the two unidentified defendants.

They are suspected of having "collaborated with the Russian intelligence services to provide them with sensitive information" beginning in May 2023.

That included photos of military installations and intelligence on drone and cybersecurity technicians, according to the findings of the initial investigation, with the pair receiving payment in cryptocurrencies in return.

Searches unveiled the interest Russian intelligence services hold in mapping out the video surveillance systems of Milan and Rome, as well as the areas of those cities with no surveillance cameras, the prosecutor's office added.

In particular, the two offered taxi companies in Milan to equip their vehicles with cameras free of charge, with the aim -- unbeknownst to the taxi drivers -- of handing their footage over to Russia.

Since Russia's invasion began in February 2022, Western countries allied with Kyiv have arrested a number of people charged with espionage for Moscow's benefit.