ROME — Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday, November 7, that 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, Reuters reported. Tajani, who is also Italy's deputy prime minister, said in a post on X that backing in a transparent way the freedom and independence of a sovereign state had made him a target, and that the hackers were seeking further information about him and his family and were willing to pay for it.

Source: Reuters, Nov 7, 2026

Screenshots seen by Reuters showed Tajani's picture among a list of 18 people described as "citizens hostile to the Russian Federation", which also included cybersecurity experts. The material was found in a section of the dark web accessible through the Tor network, as part of monitoring activities carried out by cybersecurity authorities, a person close to the minister told Reuters. Tajani said the data had been circulating for days and that those behind it were also targeting his family, exposing him to new threats and intimidation — and that he would not be intimidated.

Source: Reuters, Nov 7, 2026

Meloni backs her minister; Moscow silent

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been one of the strongest backers of Ukraine among Western leaders, expressed her support for Tajani and said the sale of confidential information relating to public officials was "a matter of serious concern" that must be tackled with the utmost determination. Moscow had not commented on the incident, Reuters reported. Russia has consistently denied any involvement in cyberattacks or hacking operations abroad.

Who is behind the list? What Italian reporting says

Italian media reports, including Il Sole 24 Ore and Il Fatto Quotidiano, identified the listing as the work of NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacking collective widely described as linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence service, on a dark-web section called "Tribunale". The profiles reportedly include phone numbers, email addresses, social-media profiles, biographical details and home addresses, with offers of payment for more information, including on family members. Other Italian names on the list reportedly include Rome prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi and postal police chief Ivano Gabrielli. Awaaz Punjab reports the NoName attribution as an Italian-media claim: it has not been conclusively established, and no government has publicly confirmed who is behind the listing.

Separately, the company behind the Brenner Base Tunnel — the 55-kilometre rail link being built between Innsbruck in Austria and Fortezza in Italy — confirmed this week that it had suffered a cyberattack on October 17. BBT SE said the attack involved the theft of non-public data through access to its internet-connected network. The Tiroler Tageszeitung, which first reported that incident, said initial investigations pointed to a pro-Russian hacker group called Everest. No evidence has been published linking the tunnel company's attack to the Tajani listing.

What happens next: Tajani said he would keep working, strengthen his ministry's defences and deepen cooperation with allies so they can protect one another. The disclosure lands as European governments face a rolling wave of cyber incidents and hybrid pressure linked to the Russia-Ukraine war — and a day after bomb-threat hoaxes disrupted television channels across Europe — with Italy in the middle of finalising its next military aid package for Ukraine, the very policy Tajani says put him on the list.