Italy invaded Russia twice: once during the Russian Civil War near Vladivostok with an Italian military contingent, and once during World War II alongside Nazi Germany.

Verified by Lenz · Jul 8, 2026

The Short Version

The underlying history is real, but the wording overstates the first episode. Italy sent forces into Russian/Soviet territory twice: a small Allied contingent near Vladivostok during the Russian Civil War and a much larger force alongside Germany in 1941-1943. But only the World War II case is plainly an invasion; the Siberian episode is usually described as an intervention or expedition, not an Italian invasion of Russia.

Caveats

The Vladivostok deployment was a limited Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, not a standalone Italian invasion in the usual sense.
The claim conflates participation in coalition operations with an independent national invasion, which materially overstates Italy's role in Siberia.
The second episode was an invasion of the Soviet Union alongside Nazi Germany; treating "Russia" and the USSR as interchangeable simplifies important historical context.

The Receipts

Italian Army in Russia
Wikipedia
Il Corpo di spedizione italiano in Siberia e in Estremo Oriente
Istituto nazionale per la storia del movimento di liberazione in Italia (ReteParri PDF)Jan 1, 2009
Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Wikipedia
Snow, Ice and Sacrifice: The Italian Army in Russia, 1941-1943
Google Books
Legione Redenta
Wikipedia
The Italian Soldier's Journey in the Soviet Union
SWW Research
Legione Redenta di Siberia
Wikipedia
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
Wikipedia
The Italian Army in Russia: from Barbarossa to Stalingrad
Warfare History Network
Why Did Italy Join Operation Barbarossa?
YouTube

+ 22 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Italy Nazi GermanyRussian Civil WarRussian EmpireVladivostokWorld War II

Italy invaded Russia twice: once during the Russian Civil War near Vladivostok with an Italian military contingent, and once during World War II alongside Nazi Germany.

The Short Version

Caveats

The Receipts

Filed Under

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