Bomb Threats

Channels reported a wave of bomb threats against passenger flights in Europe. BBC One described it as the third time that week and Channel 4 described a third day of threats. BBC One reported that newsrooms in Ireland, including RTE, were evacuated, and that the Irish government called the incidents a coordinated pattern or programme of disruption. It also reported that Italy and Bulgaria scrambled jets to escort planes and that nearly all threats came while planes were in mid-air, too late for extra screening. No explosives were found on board, as far as BBC One knew; Channel 4 reported that all planes involved landed safely and no devices were found. Channel 4 reported that Spain's foreign minister described Europe as appearing to face hybrid aggression and a form of psychological warfare, and that almost 30 flights were disrupted the previous day by hoax threats. BBC One's security correspondent said there was a large amount of circumstantial evidence pointing to Russian hybrid warfare but no hard evidence linking the threats to Russia or any state. The correspondent also discussed an email to Rome airport authorities a day earlier claiming to be from fighters of the 'male state', which he said almost certainly referred to an ultra-right Russian group banned in 2021; its leader denied involvement and said it had not been active for years, and the correspondent called the claim probably a red herring.