A Russian couple has been sentenced by a Polish court for espionage in favor of Russia, as announced by the Polish prosecutor’s office. The man, identified as Igor R., was convicted in the city of Sosnowiec, located in southern Poland, for participating in a scheme to send a booby-trapped package via a courier service.
Igor R. and his wife, Irina, were found guilty of supplying Russian intelligence agencies with information about Russian dissidents living in Poland, as well as individuals and institutions assisting them. Igor R. received a seven-year prison sentence, while his wife was sentenced to three years.
European authorities have been on high alert concerning booby-trapped packages following a spate of explosions that occurred in courier company warehouses in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland in July 2024. Moscow has been indicated as the source of these incidents, but Russia has denied all allegations.
Expulsions from Italy
On the same day, Italy announced the expulsion of two Russian military attachés from Rome after Italian authorities discovered their involvement in espionage activities. The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, stated that the ministry has informed the Russian ambassador in Rome that Ivan Petrovici Gorbaciov and Mihail Vasilievici Astakhov must leave the city within three days.
Tajani added, “Moscow continues to use its hybrid arsenal to attack the West and Italy.” This announcement regarding the expulsions came just two days after the arrest of two former agents of the Italian intelligence services, accused of providing Moscow with sensitive information, particularly related to military assistance to Ukraine, according to Italian media reports.
