More than 300 schools across Italy were evacuated on Wednesday following hoax bomb alerts, marking the latest incident in a wave of threats and cyberattacks targeting public infrastructure and institutions across several European nations.
Similar email threats originating from abroad were also reported by schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, though authorities there quickly deemed them hoaxes without disrupting classes. In Italy, however, the alerts triggered widespread disruption, forcing parents to urgently collect their children from school grounds. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reassured the public that the alerts posed no danger, while school officials confirmed students were safely evacuated under staff supervision.
The emails received in Italy were signed by “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan” the same entity that claimed responsibility for previous bomb threats sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria. While European officials suspect potential foreign involvement, including Russia and Iran, in campaigns aimed at disrupting daily life, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto noted that such actions stem from a clear strategy to spread fear, whether orchestrated by hostile states, foreign entities, or attention-seeking individuals. Meanwhile, Antonello Giannelli, head of the Italian School Principals Association, emphasized that even hoax threats inflict serious distress on families and severely disrupt educational activities. (Newswire/ NBC News)