Russia expels Italian military diplomat in retaliation

MOSCOW, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it is expelling a military attache of the Italian Embassy in Moscow in a retaliatory measure.

Italy's Ambassador to Russia Pasquale Terracciano was invited to the ministry where he was informed that this naval attache is now "persona non grata" and must leave Russia within 24 hours.

The decision was made in response to the "unfriendly" and "groundless" expulsion of two staffers of the Russian Embassy in Rome on March 31.