Italy Blames Pro-Russian Hackers For Leak Of Foreign Minister's Data
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday blamed "pro-Russian hackers" for publishing Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's personal data on the dark web, saying Italy would not be intimidated over its support for Ukraine.[1]
Tajani disclosed that his own and his family's data had appeared in online leaks in recent days, which he described as a targeted campaign linked to his and Italy's pro-Ukraine stance, but vowed not to change his position. He filed a report with judicial authorities, while Italy's privacy watchdog warned media that republishing illegally obtained data would itself break the law.
Tajani's office and Italian media have linked the operation to NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacktivist network that has been offering an online "bounty" since October 26 for sensitive information on 18 figures it brands as enemies of Russia, including several Italian law enforcement and judicial officials and foreign prosecutors.[2] The Russian embassy in Rome ridiculed the accusations, suggesting that investigators should instead ask dark web users how Tajani's data appeared there, while Rome prosecutors and European security services have opened coordinated inquiries into the leak.
Previous investigations show that NoName057(16) functions as an ideological collective of mostly Russian-speaking volunteers that coordinates distributed denial-of-service attacks and rewards participants in cryptocurrency via gamified leaderboards, rather than as a traditional criminal gang with a clear leadership structure.[3] Europol's Operation Eastwood in July 2025 disrupted more than 100 servers linked to the network and led to two arrests, seven arrest warrants and house searches across Europe, including five in Italy, but officials said the attacks they documented had been mitigated without major service outages.[3]
Italy has been a recurring target for the group since Meloni's first wartime visit to Kyiv in February 2023, when government ministry websites were hit by cyberattacks soon after her trip.[2] Sky TG24 reports that subsequent campaigns attributed to NoName057(16) have struck Milan's airports and the Foreign Ministry in December 2024, Italian banks and transport companies in February 2025, and sites linked to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in early 2026, with the Foreign Ministry's website targeted again in October 2026.[2]
The latest leak has quickly turned into a domestic political fight in Rome, as Meloni used her statement to accuse opposition figures of amplifying misinformation, singling out a meme shared by Democratic Party president Stefano Bonaccini that showed Tajani in a red "Make America Great Again" cap before it was deleted after complaints from Tajani's Forza Italia party. Italian outlets Rai News and Sky TG24 report that the country's data protection authority has warned newspapers and broadcasters that circulating any of the hacked material could expose them to sanctions, underscoring how cyber operations tied to the war in Ukraine are colliding with Italy's internal political battles.[2]
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📊 Relevant Data
Sky TG24 reports that NoName057(16) has offered a 'bounty' since October 26 for sensitive data on 18 people it treats as enemies of Russia. Alongside Tajani, the Italian names are Rome prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, postal police chief Ivano Gabrielli and Aviano mayor Paolo Tassan-Zanin (Aviano hosts a US air base). Abroad, the list includes Eurojust president Michael Schmid, Frankfurt prosecutor Benjamin Krause and German federal criminal police chief Holger Münch.
Tajani: 'Diffusi miei dati su dark web da hacker russi' — Sky TG24
Europol's July 2025 Operation Eastwood against NoName057(16) disrupted more than 100 servers and produced 2 arrests and 7 arrest warrants, 6 of them German warrants for people living in Russia. It also involved 24 house searches (5 in Italy) and questioning of 13 people (4 in Italy). Over 1,000 supporters were warned of their legal liability.
Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network — Europol
Europol describes NoName057(16) as an ideological network of mainly Russian-speaking volunteers, estimated at over 4,000 supporters, who use automated DDoS tools. They operate 'without formal leadership or sophisticated technical skills' and are paid in cryptocurrency through game-like leaderboards. Europol says the attacks it documented were mitigated without substantial interruptions.
Global operation targets NoName057(16) pro-Russian cybercrime network — Europol
Sky TG24 lists the group's earlier campaigns against Italy. They began in February 2023 with attacks on ministry websites after Meloni visited Kyiv. Later waves hit Milan's airports and the Foreign Ministry in December 2024, banks and transport firms in February 2025, Milan-Cortina Olympics sites in February 2026, and the Foreign Ministry website again in October 2026.
Tajani: 'Diffusi miei dati su dark web da hacker russi' — Sky TG24
📌 Key Facts
- On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his personal data had been posted on the dark web and that he and his family were being targeted by leaks.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a separate statement the same day blaming “pro-Russian hackers” for the data leak affecting Tajani.
- Tajani linked the targeting to Italy's political support for Ukraine and said the leaks have been ongoing for days, while vowing not to change his stance.
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