A wave of cyberattacks disrupted around 10 official websites in Italy on Saturday, including those of the Foreign Ministry and Milan’s two major airports. The attacks, attributed to the pro-Russian hacking group Noname057(16), temporarily disabled the websites before operations were restored within two hours.

Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for the attack on Telegram, declaring it a “well-deserved cyber response” to what they called Italy’s “Russophobia.” Italy’s cybersecurity agency described the assault as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, a method that floods targeted networks with high data traffic to paralyze their operations.

The agency swiftly mitigated the impact of the attacks, ensuring minimal disruption to targeted institutions and organizations.

A spokesperson for SEA, the company managing Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports, confirmed that while the airports’ websites were briefly inaccessible, mobile apps remained operational. Furthermore, the attacks caused no flight disruptions, preserving travel schedules during a potentially chaotic situation.

The incident underscores ongoing cybersecurity threats tied to geopolitical tensions, particularly involving pro-Russian groups. Italian authorities continue to monitor and respond to emerging threats to safeguard critical infrastructure.