Winter Olympics assaults put ‘lives in danger’ as Prime Minister slams ‘enemies of Italy’
Italy’s Prime Minister and high-ranking officials have hit out at ‘hateful criminal acts’ that have ‘put lives at risk’ across the country – disrupting and sabotaging the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics has been hit by attacks(Image: Maja Hitij, Getty Images)
The 2026 Winter Olympics have been targeted by “hateful criminal acts” of sabotage aimed at transport infrastructure, with authorities stating that lives have been placed “at risk.”
Railway services across central Italy suffered delays exceeding an hour on Saturday, in what senior officials suspect represents yet another deliberate act of vandalism during the Games.
Routes connecting Naples and Rome encountered substantial disruption, whilst additional hold-ups affected northbound services heading towards Florence. Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini condemned those responsible for the attacks following comparable incidents last weekend and a further, less severe case earlier this week.
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Investigators are scrutinising charred cables along a stretch of the high-speed line between Rome and Naples, together with two other suspected acts of vandalism on the Rome to Florence route.
An anarchist group had earlier claimed responsibility for an attack last Saturday, the Games’ opening full day, when railway infrastructure near Bologna was damaged, resulting in delays of up to two and a half hours across high-speed, intercity and regional networks
“These are hateful criminal acts aimed at workers and at Italy,” Salvini said in a statement. “I hope that no one plays down or tries to justify these crimes which put lives at risk.”
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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the perpetrators, labelling them “enemies of Italy,” in a scathing attack.
“Then you have them, the enemies of Italy and Italians, who demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to be broadcast on television around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent trains from leaving,” Meloni wrote in a social media post.
Officials have examined burnt cables on a stretch of the line between Rome and Naples on Saturday, alongside two other suspected acts of sabotage between Rome and Florence.
A combined report from railway police and political police units is being compiled, due to be submitted to Rome prosecutors on Saturday for the official launch of a criminal probe.
