Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on November 7, 2026 that his personal data had been published on the dark web by what he said were pro-Russian hackers, linking the move to Rome's support for Ukraine. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed support for Tajani and called the sale of confidential information on public officials a matter of serious concern.
Tajani said the publication was tied to Italy's backing for Ukraine, making a senior official in one of Kyiv's strongest Western supporters the stated target of a data leak. Meloni said the sale of confidential information about public officials was a matter of serious concern.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on November 7, 2026 that his personal data had been published on the dark web by what he said were pro-Russian hackers, and linked the move to the Italian government's support for Ukraine.
In a post on X, Tajani, who is also Italy's deputy prime minister, said that "backing in a transparent way the freedom and independence of a sovereign state" had made him a target. He said the hackers were seeking further information about him and his family and were willing to pay for it. He added that the attacks were also a reaction to efforts by the foreign ministry to strengthen cybersecurity.
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".
Screenshots seen by Reuters showed Tajani's picture among a list of 18 "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. Further investigations are being undertaken, the person added.
Moscow has not commented on the incident. Russia has consistently denied any involvement in cyberattacks or hacking operations abroad.
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