Pro-Russian hackers publish Tajani's family profiles and extend bounty to children

Threats escalate to Tajani's family

The pro-Russian collective NoName057(16), which Open reports is believed to be close to Russia's GRU military intelligence service, has repeatedly targeted Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. On 10 November the group posted a long Telegram message titled 'Reply to the subscriber', answering statements the minister had made about it. The post warned that anyone listed on its 'honour roll' would eventually be found by the 'reward', adding that it was only a matter of time. La Stampa reports that Tajani reiterated that he would not be intimidated on 10 November, linking the attacks to Italy's support for Kyiv, and that the exchange drew a response from the Russian embassy in Italy.

Tg1 previewed a new post in which the group addressed Tajani as 'Antosha' and said it knew where his family lived. The group wrote that the profiles of his wife and of his daughter and son had already appeared on its website, and it thanked 'Italian volunteers' and concerned citizens who were spreading information about him and his family.

Family profiles and phone numbers

On 11 November the group added profiles of Tajani's wife and children to the 'Tribunale' section of its dark web site, which is reached through the Tor network. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that the entries include social media account addresses, professional activities, the date of a marriage and the wife's account addresses on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, most of it findable online. Il Sole 24 Ore reports that the entries also carry private mobile numbers, which Il Fatto says cannot be found through search engines, and raises the question of who supplied them. Il Sole 24 Ore suggests the numbers may have been sold. The family members do not hold institutional roles, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.

The Tribunale list describes its entries as 'enemies of the Russian Federation' and offers money for information about them.

Bounty extended to minors

Speaking at Question Time in the Chamber of Deputies, Tajani said he had himself been the target of cyberattacks, including a bounty placed on him. He said the intimidation he received on 11 November spared no member of his family, minors included, and that the bounty concerning him had been extended to them.

“I myself have been the victim of cyberattacks, including through a bounty placed on me.”

On the alarms reported at schools, Tajani said checks had found no evidence of a concrete danger and that the reports appeared aimed at generating alarm and concern. He added that the authorities remained highly alert and that the episodes could no longer be treated as isolated, describing a strategy aimed at creating chaos and undermining citizens' trust.

Investigation and EU listing push

The Rome prosecutor's office is investigating, according to Open. Italy is seeking to have NoName057 added to the European Union's list of terrorist organizations. The number of targets is reported differently: Open puts the Tribunale page at 18 European personalities, including politicians, magistrates and journalists, while Il Fatto Quotidiano puts the list at 21 individuals. Alongside Tajani, the page had also listed Rome prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, the head of the postal police Ivano Gabrielli and the mayor of Aviano, Paolo Tassan-Zanin, whose town hosts a NATO and US Air Force air base. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that the group had earlier described the Tribunale as a list it was willing to pay for information about, and that the post listing the family was published on 11 November.