Italian authorities evacuated over 300 schools on Wednesday following a wave of emailed bomb threats, marking the latest in a series of disruptions affecting European institutions. Similar threats were also received by schools in Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but evacuations were not reported in those countries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that there was no indication of any "concrete danger" to the schools, suggesting the threats were intended "to generate alarm and concern." Investigations are underway, and Meloni convened a meeting with ministers later that day.
According to Italian media, the anonymous email also contained threats directed at Meloni. The message was signed with a Russian name that had been used in previous threats against European broadcasters. Authorities have not officially attributed the threats to any group or state, and no evidence has emerged linking them to a government.
In Northern Ireland, police are conducting "urgent inquiries" after a threatening email was sent to hundreds of schools. Police Scotland, however, stated they are treating similar messages as hoaxes and that evacuations were not being ordered, assessing that they "do not represent a credible threat." Police in Ireland also acknowledged awareness of a "generic communication" sent to educational institutions.
Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara confirmed that 312 schools were evacuated. He noted the potential for others to be involved, but emphasized that given the widespread nature, the "real risk is almost non-existent."
At Rome's Mamiani high school, students initially mistook the evacuation alarm for a recess bell, only learning of the bomb threat after they had exited the building. "They are saying it was a bomb alert because an email arrived from Russian hackers in which they said they would have killed everyone. It was pretty violent," said 18-year-old student Anita Bartocci.
The incidents follow a pattern of bomb threats that targeted dozens of flights across Europe in the preceding week, causing diversions and disrupting travel. While false bomb threats are not uncommon, the frequency and scale of these recent events have raised concerns.
No suspicious items were discovered in connection with the school threats, and no injuries were reported. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto commented that such threats are easy to make using readily available digital tools, aiming to "sow terror, or creating concern."
This wave of threats comes after other disruptions in Europe, including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions. Earlier in the week, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reported that his personal data had been leaked to the dark web, and Prime Minister Meloni had attributed such activities to pro-Russian hackers. Additionally, the company overseeing the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, connecting Austria and Italy, reported being hacked the previous month.