AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — Paolo Tassan-Zanin, the mayor of Aviano, is reportedly among 18 Europeans targeted by a hacker group known as Noname057(16), which is believed to have pro-Russian affiliations. This group has identified these individuals as “hostile to the Russian Federation,” according to multiple news reports.
Tassan-Zanin, who has held the mayoral position since 2022, expressed surprise at his inclusion on the list, stating he is unaware of any actions that might have attracted the group’s attention. “I have no kind of influence on what happens within [the U.S. base], nor have I ever dealt with the Russian Federation in my life,” he told the Italian news service Ansa.
The leaked list also reportedly includes prosecutors from Germany, three European journalists, and cybersecurity experts. Notably, the three other Italians mentioned have been more active in opposing the Kremlin, as reported by Corriere della Sera and Virgilio.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani indicated that some of his personal information had already been disseminated online. He attributed this exposure to Italy’s support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. In response, Tajani asserted on social media platform X, “I will not be intimidated in any way. I will continue to work to defend my ministry and Italy. I will increasingly strengthen ties and collaboration with our allies to protect ourselves together.”
Other notable individuals on the target list include Francesco Lo Voi, a prominent prosecutor in Rome, and Ivano Gabrielli, the head of Italy’s postal police. The hackers are believed to be pursuing personal information that could potentially facilitate targeted cyberattacks on these individuals and their associates, according to Virgilio.
Noname057(16) has previously been implicated in cyberattacks against Italian government websites and is suspected of involvement in a variety of other cyber threats, including incidents related to commercial airline operations.
This ongoing situation is expected to be addressed at the upcoming G-7 summit in Paris this week, where discussions around cybersecurity and international cooperation may take center stage.
