Hundreds of schools in Italy and UK evacuated after mass bomb threats
Emailed threats claiming bombs were planted in schools and on the Italian prime minister's car prompt police sweeps across Europe.
What happened across Europe
More than 300 schools across Italy were evacuated on Wednesday morning alongside educational institutions in Scotland and Northern Ireland, following a coordinated wave of emailed bomb threats.
The messages, which arrived shortly before 10:00 a.m. local time, triggered security sweeps and forced thousands of students and staff into safe gathering areas while emergency services inspected buildings for explosives. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara confirmed that at least 300 schools received the alerts across multiple regions, including Rome, Friuli in the north, and Basilicata in the south, adding that the total count was expected to rise.
Authorities in all three nations quickly moved to reassure the public that the threats appeared to be groundless.
| Location | Target | Official stance |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | Over 300 schools | Presumed hoax under police investigation |
| Scotland | Schools nationwide | No credible risk to the public |
| Northern Ireland | Schools nationwide | Treated as a hoax |
The sender and the claims made
According to Italian government sources and police, the threatening messages were signed under the name "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan".
The emails warned of a "genocide against the Italians" and claimed that remote-detonated explosives had been placed inside school buildings. The sender also asserted that a bomb had been attached to the engine of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's car.
A school in Rome informed parents that pupils had been evacuated to secure zones under teacher supervision while police officers conducted sweeps. A spokesperson for Rome police confirmed that investigations into the source of the emails are ongoing.
Similar threats using the same pseudonym were previously sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria, as well as European television broadcasters and airlines in recent days.
How authorities are responding
Italian authorities described the wave of messages as a deliberate effort to create widespread alarm. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said law enforcement agencies were working to separate genuine security risks from malicious attempts to cause disruption, warning that such attacks could become increasingly frequent.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi held a meeting with senior security officials to address cyber threats and psychological disruption. The ministry concluded that the primary goal of the messages was to spread unfounded panic and undermine confidence in public institutions.
This is the second mass evacuation of Italian schools in less than two weeks. On 2 November, more than 270 schools received similar threatening emails, which were later determined to be false alarms.
Police forces in Scotland and Northern Ireland confirmed that their local incidents were also being handled as non-credible hoaxes. Investigators noted that while broader cyber disruptions have recently affected European infrastructure, no direct connection has been established between those incidents and the school threats.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Italian schools evacuated on Wednesday | More than 300 | Italy Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara |
| Italian schools targeted in previous threat on 2 November | More than 270 | Italian government officials |
| Time threats were received | Just before 10:00 a.m. local time | Police and government reports |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Italy | Primary nation affected by mass school evacuations. |
| Scotland | Region where schools received email threats. |
| Northern Ireland | Region where schools received email threats. |