Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned a wave of bomb threats targeting schools across Italy, describing the incidents as an attempt to spread fear, create confusion and disrupt everyday life.
Thousands of schools received threatening emails on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, prompting precautionary evacuations and emergency security checks in several parts of the country.
According to Italy’s Education Ministry, more than 6,300 schools received the messages. However, authorities had not established how many institutions were evacuated. Reuters reported that at least 300 schools had been cleared following the alerts.
Meloni said law enforcement agencies had found no evidence of an actual bomb threat during their initial inspections. She described the incidents as part of a strategy designed to generate anxiety and undermine public confidence.
“Whoever is sending them wants our fear, lost days, suspicion and chaos,” Meloni said in a video statement after meeting with members of her Cabinet, intelligence officials and cybersecurity experts.
She added that Italian authorities were working with their European counterparts to identify those responsible for sending the threatening messages.
The emails reportedly contained violent threats and claimed that explosive devices had been placed inside school buildings. Copies obtained by Italian media also contained a threat against Meloni.
The messages were reportedly signed using the name “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan.” The same identity had been used in recent threatening emails sent to European broadcasters, including media organisations in Ireland and Bulgaria.
Despite the alarming messages, Italian authorities reported finding no suspicious devices or evidence of explosives during their initial checks. No injuries were reported.
The incident also affected other European countries. Schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland received similar threatening emails. However, authorities in Ireland and Northern Ireland assessed the messages as non-credible and did not recommend widespread evacuations. Police Scotland also described the threats as hoaxes.
The latest incident comes amid growing concerns over a series of suspicious cyberattacks and false security alerts targeting European institutions. Previous disruptions have involved airlines, broadcasters, supermarkets and other essential services.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the threats appeared intended to create fear and anxiety, warning that sending such messages had become relatively easy with modern communication technology.
Some European officials have raised concerns about possible foreign involvement in the wider campaign of disruption. However, investigators have not established that Russia, Iran or any other government was responsible for the school threats.
Italian authorities say investigations are continuing as the government works to establish the origin of the emails and identify those responsible.
The incident has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of public institutions to coordinated digital intimidation and the potential consequences of false emergency warnings for students, parents, teachers and emergency services.
Swifteradio.com
