Schools across several European countries were forced to evacuate on Wednesday after receiving alarming bomb threats via email. Police forces in Italy and the United Kingdom confirmed the incidents, describing the situation as the latest example of coordinated efforts aimed at intimidating the public.
Giuseppe Valditara, the education minister of Italy, addressed the media on Italian television. He stated that the emailed threats were presumed to be hoaxes. Valditara also noted that the total number of affected institutions was expected to increase as more reports came in.
According to a copy of the message reviewed by Reuters, more than 300 schools received the threats just before 10 a.m. local time. The emails were signed by an individual identifying themselves as Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan. This same purported sender had previously claimed responsibility for similar bomb threats sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.
The disruption extended to the United Kingdom, where schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland also evacuated their students on Wednesday morning. In Northern Ireland, the Police Service treated the threats as a hoax. Similarly, Police Scotland indicated that there was no evidence to suggest the threats posed a credible risk to the general public.
In a formal statement, Police Scotland explained that based on their inquiries and available information, they were treating the email as a hoax. The force noted that the message originated from outside the United Kingdom.
These events occur amid growing concerns in Europe regarding so-called hybrid threats. There is increasing anxiety about the continent's ability to withstand such challenges. Hybrid warfare involves a combination of tactics, including cyberattacks, sabotage, and disinformation, designed to destabilize adversaries without triggering open military conflict.
The recent wave of disruptions has been significant. Last week, a flurry of events affected supermarkets, blood banks, and passenger flights. Bomb threats repeatedly impacted flights across Europe, with officials and airlines describing the incidents as false attacks or hoax bomb threats.
France announced on Tuesday that a wave of cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigerators was carried out by Shahid Kaveh. This is a cyber unit that France said was affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. In response, Iran denied any involvement, labeling the accusations as baseless and malicious.
It remains unclear who is behind the latest series of hybrid attacks or if they are state-backed. The incidents take place against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions and domestic unrest in parts of Europe. Experts told CNBC that civilian infrastructure could become an increasingly attractive target for hostile actors in the future.
