'Too early to draw conclusions' as bomb threat hoaxes target European countries

European airports were thrown into disarray on Thursday after bomb threats forced the diversion or emergency landing of at least 25 flights, with eight incidents traced back to Italy. The day began with heightened alertness at airports across Europe following a new wave of bomb threats targeting various operators. Seven of the affected flights originated from or were bound for Italy.

This latest series of threats followed a similar wave two days prior, during which at least seven false alarms were issued. The Italian news agency Adnkronos revealed that an email sent to Terminal 3 at Fiumicino Airport, written in Italian and titled "Threat Notification," bore the signature of a group calling themselves "Male State Fighters."

Similarly, Sofia Airport in Bulgaria received a message with the identical signature. The threat email warned, "We, the fighters of the 'Male State,' will enter history with our actions today. Your feminist system will remember this forever. The explosion will occur in 60 minutes. Today, your skies will turn red." The signatures suggest a connection to the Russian movement "Male State," an ultranationalist and misogynistic group founded by Vladislav Pozdnyakov that has been banned in Russia.

Authorities suspect the wave of hoax bomb threats may have been coordinated on a European scale, prompting the activation of international cooperation channels to track down the servers and IP addresses used to send the malicious emails. The Public Prosecutor's Office in Busto Arsizio has initiated legal proceedings against unidentified perpetrators for charges of "raising a false alarm."