Pro-Russian hackers leak Italian foreign minister’s data on dark web

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said his personal data had been disseminated on the dark web, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blaming pro-Russian hackers for the leak. Tajani announced in a social media post on Saturday that “for days now, cybercriminals have been publishing my personal data on the dark web and seeking further information, effectively exposing me to new threats and intimidation”.

The threats against Tajani, who is also vice prime minister of Italy, come amid a spate of hoax bomb threats across Europe that have forced flight diversions, security alerts at broadcasters, and attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems. “They are also targeting my family; they are willing to pay for more details about me and my loved ones,” Tajani added in his X post.

“My response is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any way.” Meloni expressed solidarity with Tajani “following the revelations about the activities of pro-Russian hackers, and the publication on the dark web of personal data”.