Over 300 schools bombed in Europe
Threatening emails signed by "Mikhail Andropov" have led to the evacuation of schools in Italy, while police in the UK are calling the threats false.
Quick Look
- Around 300 Italian schools have been evacuated following bomb threats signed by "Mikhail Andropov".
- Similar threats have also been directed at schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as airplanes in Europe, but authorities assess the threats as false.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The same signature was used last week in bomb threats against around 20 aircraft in European airspace.
"We want to wipe you out" and "we will commit a genocide of Italians" are some of the threats made in one of the emails, signed by "Mikhail Andropov", writes La Repubblica.
In Italy, around 300 schools have received the threat and had to evacuate. A number of schools in Northern Ireland and Scotland have also received threats via email, according to local media.
Scottish police consider the threat to be fake and do not require schools to evacuate. "According to our investigation, there is nothing to suggest that this constitutes a credible threat," a spokesperson for Police Scotland said in a statement.
According to information to Reuters, the Italian threats also appear to be fake.
- Any one of us can send an e-mail to a school, a preschool or an airline and claim that there is a bomb. This is part of a larger pattern - which also attracts idiots. It is not always about the strategies of foreign powers or hostile actions, says Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, as quoted by TT.
The signature, Mikhail Andropov, was also used last week when dozens of planes around Europe received bomb threats. On Friday, some 20 aircraft in European airspace had to be diverted or landed because of the threats - it was the third time that week.
Open Questions
- Who is behind the emails?
- Is there a connection between the school threats and the airplane threats?
