Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that his personal data had been published on the “dark web” by individuals he described as pro-Russian hackers, adding that the targeting was linked to the Rome government's support for Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Ukraine's strongest supporters among Western leaders, expressed her support for Tajani, saying that the sale of confidential information concerning government officials was “a matter of grave concern.”
Moscow did not comment on the incident. Russia has consistently denied any involvement in cyberattacks or hacking operations abroad.
Tajani, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said in a post on the platform X that “supporting the freedom and independence of a sovereign state transparently” had made him a target of the attack. He added that the hackers were seeking more information about him and his family and were willing to pay for it.
He said the attacks were also in response to the Foreign Ministry's efforts to strengthen cybersecurity.
A source close to the minister told Reuters that the materials were found in a section of the dark web accessible via the Tor network, as part of monitoring activities carried out by cybersecurity authorities.
The source added that further investigations are ongoing.
