Suspected sabotage on northern Italy’s railway network caused major disruption as crowds gathered for the opening of the Winter Olympic Games. Authorities reported several coordinated incidents, including fires on rail infrastructure, severed electrical cables and a rudimentary explosive device near Bologna, a key national transport hub. Delays stretched for hours across routes linking major cities such as Venice and the Adriatic coast. Officials described the attacks as serious and possibly intended to coincide with the international event, drawing comparisons with similar disruption during the Paris Olympics in 2024. No group has claimed responsibility, and investigations continue while services return to normal. Despite the tension, ceremonies proceeded across multiple venues in Milan and the mountain regions. Italy had earlier foiled cyber-attacks, claimed to be of Russian origin: see