Who signed the bomb-threat email sent to schools in Italy, and was the same name linked to other threats?

A copy of the Italian email was signed by someone claiming to be Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan. The same purported author claimed responsibility for bomb-threat emails sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.

Why are European officials concerned about the school bomb alerts and other recent threats?

Officials are concerned that hoax threats may be part of a campaign of hybrid disruptions targeting countries that help Ukraine, a campaign many have blamed on Russia. Moscow has denied involvement, and Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the school threats could also come from attention-seekers or individuals seeking to cause fear.

Bomb alerts sent to schools in Italy and Northern Ireland in latest threats

Q: How many schools in Italy and Northern Ireland received bomb threats, and what did authorities tell them to do?

At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated after receiving a bomb alert, and officials expected the number to rise. A large number of schools in Northern Ireland received a threatening email but were advised to stay open because police did not consider it credible.

Listen

Summary

At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving bomb alerts, while schools in Northern Ireland were told they could remain open after a threatening email was judged not credible. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the alerts were presumed to be hoaxes and that more schools could be affected. Italian police are investigating the threats. The incidents came amid concerns among European officials about a wider campaign of hybrid disruptions.

Key Facts

The email received in Italy was signed by someone claiming to be Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan, and the same purported author claimed responsibility for bomb-threat emails sent to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.
A school in Rome told parents through a messaging app that students had been moved to a safe area and remained under staff supervision.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the threats were intended to spread fear and anxiety, while noting that attention-seekers or individuals could also be responsible.
France summoned Iran’s ambassador on Tuesday over accusations that Tehran carried out a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets; Iran’s foreign ministry rejected the accusations as baseless and hostile.

By Reuters

Published Nov 11, 2026 9:11 pm KST

Students from the Matteotti Pellico Institute are evacuated due to a bomb threat across all school sites in Turin, Italy, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap

At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving a bomb alert message, the government said, the latest in a series of threats and cyberattacks on supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and TV broadcasters across Europe.

Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara told La7 TV channel that the alerts were presumed to be hoaxes, adding that the number of schools affected was expected to rise.

A large number of schools in Northern Ireland were also sent a threatening email, the Northern Ireland Education Authority said on Wednesday, but have been advised to stay open as the authority said police did not regard it as a credible threat.

"Following a nationwide bomb alert, we wish to inform you that all students have been taken to a safe area and remain under the supervision of teaching staff," one school in Rome informed parents through a messaging app.

The email received in Italy was signed "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan," according to a copy of the message seen by Reuters.

The same purported author claimed responsibility for email bomb threats sent on Friday to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Wednesday's threats were "part of a strategy that is quite clear by now: to spread fear and create anxiety," according to Adnkronos news agency.

"It is not always the work of foreign countries or hostile entities. There are also attention-seekers and lunatics who, at a time like this, cannot wait to unleash terror in a city or a region," he added.

Italian police forces are investigating the matter, a spokesperson for Rome police said.

France summoned Iran's ambassador on Tuesday after accusing Tehran of a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets last week. Iran's foreign ministry rejected as "baseless and hostile" accusations that its Revolutionary Guards were behind the attacks.

There are also concerns among European officials that hoax threats may be part of a campaign of "hybrid" disruptions, which many have blamed on Russia, aimed at countries helping Ukraine. Moscow has denied involvement.

Explore More