‘All of Italy will fall’: Russia mocks Rome tragedy that killed one, links tower collapse to Ukraine support

Russia on Monday (Nov 3) mocked Italy after Torre dei Conti — a 13th-century landmark near the Colosseum — collapsed amid efforts to restore the medieval tower. In a post on Telegram, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked Italy, linking the tower collapse to Rome’s support for Ukraine. She claimed that as long as the Italian government supports Ukraine, "all of Italy will collapse, from the economy to its towers." The insensitive statement promptly sparked Italy's ire, with Rome summoning the Russian ambassador to lodge a formal protest.

What did the Russian ambassador say?

Making a link between the accident and Italy's support for Ukraine, Zakharova on Telegram wrote, "As long as the Italian government keeps uselessly wasting taxpayers' money, all of Italy will collapse, from the economy to its towers." She added that just this year, Italy gave Kyiv around 2.5 billion euros, "I recall that in May this year, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Italian support to Ukraine, including military aid and contributions paid through EU mechanisms, amounts to approximately 2.5 billion euros".

Italy slams "shameful and unacceptable" statement

Slamming the insensitive statement on the tragic tower collapse, which has already claimed the life of one worker, 43-year-old Octay Stroici, Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, condemned the remarks as "shameful and unacceptable" and summoned the Russian ambassador to protest.

Just before noon on Monday, the 13th-century tower collapsed partially, sending debris crashing into the street and a thick white cloud rising over the historic centre.

A second partial collapse, roughly 90 minutes later, sent up more dust and debris. Firefighters said they had managed to erect a protective barrier around the tower before the second collapse, which likely prevented more serious injuries to others. A Romanian worker, 43-year-old Octay Stroic,i was rescued from the collapsed Torre dei Conti but later died in the hospital. Three workers, apart from Stroici, were rescued, one of them also in critical condition, according to the fire service.

Rome’s Directorate of Cultural Heritage said the collapses affected a buttress, part of the tower’s base, its stairwell, and part of the roof. The restoration phase that began in June 2025 — including asbestos removal — was nearly complete, and prior safety checks had found no major risks.