Italy was engaged in a war of words with Russia over allegations Moscow hid spies among doctors it had sent to the country's coronavirus epicentre near Milan.
The unusual exchange between the traditionally friendly nations followed the publication of an Italian newspaper story about the purportedly nefarious nature of the Russian mission.
The Russians came last week to help disinfect hospitals and care homes in a northern Italian region that has recorded over half of the country's 14,681 official Covid-19 deaths.
It was a chance for Russian President Vladimir Putin to exert "soft power" at a moment of dire weakness for the West. But Italy's La Stamp newspaper said Thursday that the 104-strong contingent of doctors and experts almost