After hoaxes to flights, newsrooms in Bulgaria and Ireland get threats

Newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria received emailed bomb threats on Friday, purportedly from a figure named Mikhail Andropov. The messages claimed responsibility for a series of hoax threats disrupting passenger flights across Europe. Bulgaria's Nova TV and Ireland's RTE, among others, received the threats, which were headlined "Message to the West" and portrayed them as preludes to further attacks on European transport.

Sky, a British broadcaster, also received a security threat. While Reuters could not verify the sender's identity or origin of the emails, the threats added to concerns among European officials about a campaign of hybrid disruptions, possibly orchestrated by Russia, aimed at countries supporting Ukraine. Russian officials deny involvement.

European leaders warn of hybrid aggression and psychological warfare. Amidst the threats, around half a dozen flights were disrupted on Tuesday, and over two dozen on Thursday. Despite the numerous hoax threats, air travel remained largely unaffected, with some flights diverted as precautionary measures. NATO has ordered air patrols in the region, marking their first involvement in such a scenario.