Italy's civilian infrastructure faces coordinated cyber and hoax attacks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Friday that civilian infrastructures were 'under attack' following a wave of hacking incidents and bomb alerts that have disrupted European air traffic and targeted government officials. According to The Local Italy, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday he was being targeted by 'cybercriminals' who were sharing his personal data online because of Italy's support for Ukraine. The dual threat—hoax bomb alerts grounding dozens of flights and sophisticated cyberattacks against state figures—has prompted Rome to frame the incidents as part of a broader campaign of hybrid warfare.

The bomb threats, which have affected at least 25 to 30 European flights this week, included multiple diversions to Rome and other Italian airports. According to Deutsche Welle and France 24, an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French airbase following a bomb threat, and flights bound for Rome were among those targeted. Some threats claimed attribution to 'fighters of the Male State', a far-right Russian group, though authorities have not confirmed a single perpetrator. The hoax alerts have left no explosives but have created cascading disruption across Europe's aviation system.

For Italy's foreign policy posture, the targeting of Tajani underscores the costs of the country's alignment with the West on Ukraine. Rome has positioned itself as a NATO member and EU partner committed to supporting Kyiv, and the cyberattacks—coupled with the aviation disruptions—suggest that hostile actors view Italy's infrastructure and leadership as legitimate targets for pressure. The incidents reflect a broader pattern of hybrid threats against European states that the continent's security establishment has struggled to counter with a unified response.