ROME — The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, November 9 and 10, will discuss recent cyber attacks suspected to have come from pro-Russian groups, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Sunday, November 8, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters, Nov 8, 2026

"(French) Foreign Minister (Jean-Noel) Barrot accepted my proposal to place the issue on the agenda, so tomorrow and the day after tomorrow we will be discussing it," Tajani told a briefing at his ministry in Rome, according to Reuters. Tajani, who is also Italy's deputy prime minister, put the same point more bluntly in remarks quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA: "We are in the midst of a hybrid war. That is why I have asked the G7 countries to make this issue the focus of their discussions."

Source: ANSA via Europe Says, Nov 8, 2026

A minister targeted himself, a day earlier

On Saturday, November 7, Tajani said his personal data had been published on the dark web by what he said were pro-Russian hackers, adding that the move was linked to the Italian government's support for Ukraine. "This exposes me to new threats and attempts at intimidation. They are also targeting my family and are prepared to pay for further details about me and my relatives," he wrote on X, adding: "My response is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any way." Awaaz Punjab reported that disclosure in full on November 7.

Read the earlier report: on Saturday Tajani revealed that his personal data — and offers of payment for information about his family — had appeared on the dark web, in a listing he linked to Italy's backing for Ukraine. Tajani says pro-Russian hackers put his personal data on the dark web

Mon–Tue, Nov 9–10when the G7 foreign ministers meet in Paris, with cyber attacks now on the agenda at Italy's request
7 + EUthe G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US — plus the European Union as a permanent participant
Sat, Nov 7when Tajani said his personal data had been published on the dark web by suspected pro-Russian hackers

Hybrid warfare beyond Europe — and a careful line on blame

Tajani noted there had been "hybrid warfare" incidents across Europe but also in South America in the past days, and said G7 countries will discuss possible joint initiatives to counter them, Reuters reported. He stopped short of directly blaming the Russian government for the cyber attacks: "I said the hackers are pro-Russian. I did not say that the Russian government is responsible. If I had proof of Russian government involvement, I would say so," he said. Moscow has not commented on the latest claims and has consistently denied involvement in cyberattacks or hacking abroad.

In Rome, the response is also moving on a second track: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed pro-Russian hackers for the attacks, and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has convened a meeting of the National Security Council in Rome for Tuesday, November 10, ANSA reported. Tajani suspects the attacks are a reaction to Italy's support for Ukraine and to his ministry's work to strengthen its own cybersecurity, including a dedicated cyber directorate he set up on January 1.

What is solid

  • Tajani said on Sunday that Barrot had accepted his proposal and that the Paris G7 meeting on Monday and Tuesday will discuss the recent suspected pro-Russian cyber attacks (Reuters; ANSA)
  • Tajani said on Saturday that his personal data had been published on the dark web, that his family was also being targeted, and that he linked the move to Italy's support for Ukraine (his own X post; Reuters)
  • Meloni blamed pro-Russian hackers, and Interior Minister Piantedosi has convened Italy's National Security Council for Tuesday (ANSA)

What is only claimed

  • Who is ultimately behind the attacks: Tajani and Meloni blame pro-Russian hackers, but Tajani himself said he has no proof the Russian government is responsible, and Moscow — which had not commented on the latest claims — consistently denies involvement in hacking abroad
  • The full scope of the 'hybrid warfare' incidents Tajani cited across Europe and South America in recent days, which he did not detail at the briefing

What happens next: the Paris meeting on November 9–10 is the first test of whether the G7 turns the cyber issue into joint initiatives, as Tajani has asked, while Italy's own National Security Council meets in Rome on Tuesday. The G7 talks in Paris were already set to focus on Russia's war in Ukraine and the Middle East war; the cyber agenda now sits alongside both, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attending on his first trip abroad since the US midterm elections.