Italy Defends Media Independence After Moscow Envoy Summoned

Italy's ambassador to Moscow defended media "independence" on Friday after Russian authorities summoned her over an Italian television report in the embattled Kursk region, the foreign ministry said.

Cecilia Piccioni faced a "strong protest" over to Italian broadcaster RAI's reporting team which "illegally entered Russia to cover the criminal terrorist attack by Ukrainian soldiers against the Kursk region", the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Piccioni explained during the meeting that RAI, "and in particular the editorial teams, plan their activities in a totally free and independent way," an Italian foreign ministry spokesman told AFP. 

The Italian broadcaster's main news program aired a report Wednesday, showing journalists driving across the border into Russia accompanied by the Ukrainian military.

They were shown driving in an armored vehicle past Russian road signs before arriving in the town of Sudzha, around 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border, where a journalist talked to local people.

Russia's foreign ministry warned that the "actions by the Italian citizens fall under Russia's criminal code."

The ministry said that "the competent authorities are taking the necessary steps to establish all the circumstances of the crimes committed by the RAI staff to assess the legal position and take corresponding measures."

Ukraine has claimed control of Sudzha after launching its surprise offensive into Russia last week.

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