Thousands of schools across Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland received threatening emails claiming explosive devices had been planted on their campuses Wednesday, prompting widespread evacuations in several Italian cities and urgent investigations by law enforcement.
Authorities quickly determined that the threats were not credible, and no explosives or suspicious items were uncovered. However, the coordinated messages triggered panic among families and added to growing tensions over cross-border disruptions affecting European infrastructure and institutions.
Mass alerts disrupt Italian schools
In Italy, an estimated 6,000 to 6,300 schools received the threatening messages, according to government statements and media accounts. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara reported that 312 schools evacuated students, while classrooms were cleared in major cities including Rome, Milan, Naples, Palermo and Bologna.
The emails sent in Italy claimed an explosive device had been placed in a plastic bag and included violent language, stating, “we have come to annihilate you,” according to Italian news reports cited by CBS News. Copies of the messages reviewed by reporters also contained threats against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and were signed under the name “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan.”
Meloni said public safety checks showed no “concrete danger” existed, writing on social media that the incident appeared designed to generate alarm. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told reporters that the barrage of emails aimed to sow fear, remarking that anyone with digital tools could easily broadcast threats to public entities.
Disruption across the United Kingdom and Ireland
Across the British Isles, schools faced similar mass messages on Wednesday, though local police agencies urged administrators to avoid unnecessary closures. Police Scotland said about 1,000 schools had received hoax warnings stretching from Dumfries in the south to Orkney in the north, after an earlier estimate placed the figure at roughly 470.
“Our inquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said. Some local authorities, including councils in Edinburgh and Highland, reported brief precautionary evacuations before resuming classes.
In Northern Ireland, police said at least 300 schools were targeted by emails that appeared to originate overseas. Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said the Police Service of Northern Ireland treated the public risk as low while inquiries continued. In the Republic of Ireland, the national police service, An Garda Síochána, confirmed it received reports of generic threatening communications but advised institutions that the alerts were non-credible and did not require evacuations.
Broader wave of European disruptions
The school warnings mark the latest incident in a series of false alarms and cyber incidents across the continent. Just last week, fake bomb threats targeted more than 20 commercial airline flights across Europe, forcing several diversions. Similar Russian-named signatures appeared in recent threats directed at European broadcasters, CBS News reported.
Officials have not formally linked the school hoaxes to any foreign government or specific organization. However, Western intelligence officials have previously sounded alarms regarding hybrid warfare tactics, including digital sabotage against European retailers, French blood banks and aviation networks.
Police Scotland confirmed that its cyber and fraud unit is coordinating with international partners to trace the sender. In Rome, Meloni scheduled discussions with intelligence leaders and cybersecurity specialists to address the wave of intimidation and identify those responsible.
