Navy officer arrested for passing docs to Russian official

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 31 - An Italian Navy officer has been arrested by Carabinieri police after allegedly being caught while passing classified documents to a Russian military official for money during a clandestine encounter, sources said on Wednesday.
    They are both accused of serious crimes regarding espionage and State security.
    The position of the Russian official, however, is still being looked at in relation to his diplomatic status.
    The Italian foreign ministry said Wednesday that, acting on instructions from Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Foreign Ministry Secretary General Elisabetta Belloni had summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Razov in relation to media reports of the operation.
    The serviceman, a frigate captain, and the Russian official, who is accredited to the Russian embassy, were detained by the Carabinieri's ROS unit late on Tuesday, the sources said.
    In addition to the criminal investigation, military prosecutors have also opened a probe into the case.
    NATO documents were allegedly among the files the Navy officer handed over, the sources said.
    Photo: a file image of a Carabinieri car. (ANSA).