Italian foreign minister says pro-Russian hackers put his data on dark web over Ukraine support

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says his personal data had been published on the dark web by pro-Russian hackers, and links the move to Rome’s support for Kyiv.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has been one of the strongest backers of Ukraine among Western leaders, expresses her support for Tajani and says the sale of confidential information relating to public officials is “a matter of serious concern.”

Moscow has not commented on the incident. Russia has consistently denied any involvement in cyberattacks or hacking operations abroad.

Tajani, who is also Italy’s deputy prime minister, says in a post on X that “backing in a transparent way the freedom and independence of a sovereign state” has made him a target, and that the hackers were seeking further information about him and his family and were willing to pay for it.

The attacks were also a reaction to efforts by the foreign ministry to strengthen cybersecurity, Tajani adds.

Screenshots seen by Reuters show Tajani’s picture among a list of 18 “citizens hostile to the Russian Federation,” including 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 tells Reuters, adding that further investigations are underway.