The foreign ministers of the G7 will discuss the latest cyberattacks suspected to have been carried out by pro-Russian groups. The meeting will take place in Paris on November 9 and 10, and the issue was added to the agenda at the proposal of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
“The French foreign minister accepted my proposal to include the issue on the agenda. We will discuss it tomorrow and the day after,” Tajani told reporters, Reuters reported. According to him, incidents linked to hybrid warfare have been recorded in Europe in recent days, as well as in South America.
Italy seeks a common response
The Italian minister said the G7 would discuss possible joint initiatives to counter cyberattacks. The agenda is also expected to include broader threats to critical infrastructure and institutions linked to hybrid actions.
Tajani said his personal data had been published on the dark web on November 7. He linked the case to Italy’s position in support of Ukraine. According to Italy’s Foreign Ministry, the data was found in an area of the dark web accessible through the “Tor” network, while Italian authorities are continuing to investigate the case.
“I said that the hackers were pro-Russian. I did not say that the Russian government was responsible. If I had evidence of the involvement of the Russian authorities, I would have said so,” Tajani said. In this way, he drew a distinction between the attackers’ alleged political orientation and any possible connection to the Russian state.
Tajani’s personal data among the published materials
A day earlier, Reuters reported that a photograph of Tajani had been included on a list of 18 people identified as “hostile to the Russian Federation.” Cybersecurity experts also appeared on the list. According to information available to the agency, the materials were discovered while monitoring the dark web, and further action is being taken in the case.
The Italian foreign minister did not provide evidence directly linking the Russian government to the attacks. Moscow has not commented on the specific case, while Russia generally rejects allegations of involvement in cyberattacks abroad.
The upcoming meeting in Paris will give G7 countries an opportunity to discuss a coordinated response to the alleged cyberattacks and other hybrid actions affecting states and institutions outside direct military confrontation.
Sources: reuters.com, apnews.com