Cyberattacks in Europe have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with pro-Russian hacker groups targeting countries such as Poland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Croatia to pressure them into halting support for Ukraine.

The attack on Italy affected the country’s foreign ministry, the infrastructure and transport ministry, and various institutions, including the Italian financial market regulator and the military's air force and navy divisions.

Public transportation websites in Rome, Palermo, and Genoa were also rendered inaccessible. Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency has launched efforts to restore the affected platforms.

According to Italian news agency ANSA, the attack is attributed to pro-Russian hacking groups, though further details on their identity or motives have not been disclosed.

However, hacker group "NoName057" claimed responsibility for the attack on their Telegram channel, stating it was carried out in response to a meeting between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Meloni reaffirmed her support for Ukraine.

"Italy should start helping itself and, first of all, its cybersecurity," the hacker group said.

According to Italian media, the country’s cybersecurity agency (ACN) is overseeing the response to the attack, which reportedly caused no major issues.