Aviation security is under scrutiny as multiple aircraft were diverted or intercepted following a series of false warnings across Europe on Thursday.
At least 27 passenger flights across Europe faced disruptions on Thursday due to hoax bomb threats, according to reports from BBC News and Firstpost. The incidents, which mark the second wave of such threats this week, forced some aircraft to make unplanned landings and led to fighter jets being used to escort or intercept certain flights.
In Italy, an email sent to authorities at Rome's Fiumicino and Milan's Malpensa airports claimed that explosive devices were on inbound flights from Helsinki and Dublin. The message, which used the name "Fighters of the Male State", stated the devices would detonate within 60 minutes.
The disruptions affected several destinations, including Milan, Rome, Paris, Prague, Sofia, Vienna, Brussels, Bucharest, and others. In France, fighter jets intercepted an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome, while Bulgaria's air force escorted three airliners to the ground. In Spain, police received three emailed threats within 20 minutes targeting Air Europa and Iberia flights.
While no country has officially attributed responsibility, some officials have suggested the threats could be part of "hybrid" warfare by Russia. Analysts at Osprey Flight Solutions described a connection to a Russian hybrid campaign as a realistic probability, though they noted that personal grievances or copycat incidents could also be factors.
Russia and Iran have denied involvement in such activities. As of Thursday evening, no hard evidence had emerged linking the hoaxes to Russia, Iran, or their proxy groups.
