Two Italian journalists whose news report about Russia’s Kursk Oblast angered the Russian authorities will return to Italy following threats from Russia, according to Radiotelevisione italiana (Rai), Italy’s national public broadcasting company, Paralel.Az reports citing European Pravda.

On Friday, 16 August, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador with regard to what Russia claims to be an "illegal border crossing" by a group of Rai journalists.

Rai said that they decided to "order journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini to temporarily return to Italy, in part to ensure their personal safety".