ROME, March 31. /TASS/. Italy immediately expels two Russian Embassy employees, suspected of illegal actions, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said in a statement in his Facebook page Wednesday.

"The Russian Ambassador, summoned to the foreign minister, received a protest of the Italian government. He was also informed about an immediate expulsion of two [embassy] employees, involved in a very serious affair. I thank our intelligence services and state agencies that work for the benefit of our country’s security," the foreign minister said.

Earlier, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced that Russian Ambassador Sergei Razov was summoned after an Italian Navy captain and a Russian officer were apprehended during the exchange of confidential papers for monetary reward. The Russian Embassy confirmed that a military attache’s office employee was apprehended.

The Italian authorities do not disclose names or positions of the expelled diplomats.