Thousands of Italian schools evacuated after bomb threat emails
Around 6,300 schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday following bomb threat emails, part of a broader wave of threats and cyberattacks across Europe.
On Wednesday, more than 6,300 schools in Italy were evacuated after receiving bomb threat emails, prompting parents to collect their children from classrooms. The messages, signed by a self-styled "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan," also mentioned a threat to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the alerts posed no danger and that police were monitoring the situation.
A school in Rome notified parents that all students had been moved to safe areas under staff supervision. Reuters obtained a copy of the email and a national security source described the distribution of the messages as "as easy as drinking a glass of water."
Similar email threats were reported in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, though authorities there classified them as hoaxes and schools remained open.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the threats as part of a strategy to spread fear and anxiety, while acknowledging that not all incidents are linked to foreign actors. Antonello Giannelli, head of the Italian School Principals Association, warned that even hoax alerts can disrupt educational activities and cause distress for students, families and staff.
European officials have suggested that Russia or Iran could be behind recent disruptive campaigns targeting nations that support Ukraine, though both countries have denied involvement.