Italy evacuates over 300 schools after bomb threats; similar alerts reported in UK, Ireland

A series of hoax bomb alerts were sent to over 300 schools in Italy on Wednesday, prompting evacuations across the country. This latest round of threats adds to a growing trend of disruptions and cyberattacks targeting various aspects of European life, including supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and TV broadcasters. Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland also received similar email threats, but these were quickly identified as hoaxes and did not disrupt classes.

In Italy, many parents were forced to leave work and rush to pick up their children due to the sudden evacuation orders. One parent, Nensi Bego, recounted her daughter Dafne's distress upon realizing what was happening. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni assured the public that the bomb alerts posed no danger and that police and other authorities were monitoring the situation.

The email threat, signed by a purported "Mikhail Andropov," claimed responsibility for similar bomb threats sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.

Russian and Iranian officials have denied accusations of involvement in the campaign of disruption, with Iran even accusing the West of a smear campaign. Italy's Defence Minister, Guido Crosetto, characterized the threats as part of a strategy to spread fear and anxiety, emphasizing that they are not always the work of foreign entities or hostile groups.

Some experts, like Antonello Giannelli from the Italian School Principals Association, noted the unsettling impact on students, families, and school staff, despite acknowledging that the alerts in question were hoaxes.