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Antonio Tajani announced the data leak in a post on the social media platform X, where he stated that cybercriminals had published his personal information and were seeking further details that would expose him to new threats and intimidation. The foreign minister, who also holds the position of deputy prime minister, explicitly connected the incident to Italy’s backing of Ukraine and efforts to reinforce the ministry’s digital defenses. Tajani added that the hackers were targeting his family as well and were prepared to pay for additional information about his loved ones. He concluded his statement by declaring that he would not be intimidated in any way and would continue working to defend his ministry and Italy while strengthening ties with allies.
The leaked material included telephone numbers, email addresses, Telegram contacts and other personal details that remain in active use, according to a report by Il Sole 24 Ore that first highlighted the existence of a target list compiled by the hackers. Tajani’s name appeared at the top of a roster of 18 European public figures deemed hostile to the Russian Federation, a document posted on a dark web site accessible only through the Tor network. The Italian newspaper reported that similar dossiers had been assembled for Rome prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi and postal police chief Ivano Gabrielli, each containing curriculum details, private contact information and home addresses. A person close to Tajani told Reuters that the material surfaced during routine cybersecurity monitoring and that further investigations were under way.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed full solidarity with Tajani following the revelations, describing the sale of confidential information about public officials as a matter of grave concern that must be addressed with the utmost determination. Meloni, one of the strongest Western supporters of Ukraine, framed the episode as linked to pro-Russian hackers seeking to undermine government figures. Her statement aligned with Tajani’s assessment that the leak represented a form of hybrid warfare tied to Italy’s clear stance in favor of Ukrainian democracy and independence.
The hacker collective known as NoName057(16) maintains a so-called tribunal section on the dark web where it publishes profiles of targeted individuals and solicits paid information from users, Il Sole 24 Ore reported after examining the platform. The group has previously claimed responsibility for distributed denial-of-service attacks on more than 350 Italian institutional and private websites as well as on supermarket chains across Europe. Cybersecurity authorities have tracked these operations as part of a pattern of activity that intensified after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Italian media accounts that cite ongoing monitoring by specialized units.
Tajani has responded to the threat by noting that the foreign ministry established a dedicated cyber directorate on January 1 to counter incursions often linked to state-affiliated actors. He told reporters in a video statement that the latest incident underscored the need to place cybersecurity at the center of discussions at an upcoming G7 meeting in Paris. The minister emphasized that collaboration with allies would be intensified to protect both the ministry and the broader country from such criminal entities.
The episode has drawn condemnation from across the Italian political spectrum, with opposition leaders joining Meloni in condemning the targeting of institutional figures. Reuters reported that screenshots of the dark web listing showed Tajani’s photograph alongside those of cybersecurity experts from France and the mayor of Aviano, home to a NATO air base. Authorities have not yet detailed the precise scope of the data exposed beyond what Tajani himself disclosed, but the foreign minister indicated the campaign remained active and required sustained vigilance from Italian and allied cyber defenses.
