File Photo: A woman walking past the Italian embassy in Moscow. AFP
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called it a "blatant act of retaliation" following Italy's expulsion of two Russian military attaches earlier this month, who he said had been caught spying against Rome.
There was no immediate official comment from Moscow.
Italy's July 9 order to expel the Russian military attaches came after police announced they had arrested two former Italian intelligence agents for what media reports said was giving Moscow secrets on military aid to Ukraine.
At the time, Tajani said that Moscow "continues to use hybrid warfare to attack the West and Italy," and called them "serious and unacceptable" acts.
One of the Italians arrested, a 59-year-old former intelligence officer, gave his Russian handler information via six different sources "including four serving military personnel assigned to posts marked by a high level of confidentiality", according to police in Rome.
Media reports said the Italians had delivered details about an Italian-French air defence system, the SAMP/T, which is due to be delivered to Ukraine this year, and on Aster missiles that have already been sent to Kyiv.
Russian handlers had also sought details on a NATO mission in Bulgaria and the Italian company Avio that makes motors for drones and supersonic missiles, reports said.
Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto earlier this month said the case was "just the tip of the iceberg" in Russia's so-called "hybrid war" in Europe as it pursues its invasion of Ukraine.
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