---
title: "About 6,300 Italian schools evacuated after bomb threat emails: A wave of fake attacks hits Europe"
description: "About 6,300 Italian schools were evacuated on Wednesday following bomb threat emails; similar messages from abroad were classified as hoaxes in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland."
date: 2026-11-11T16:05:50.617Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mass-evacuation-italian-schools-bomb-threats
tags: [italy, bomb-threats, schools, cyberattacks, europe]
author: "Roman V."
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# About 6,300 Italian schools evacuated after bomb threat emails: A wave of fake attacks hits Europe

![Italian police officers in uniforms with the inscription Polizia standing outside](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/massovaya-evakuaciya-shkol-italii-posle-ugroz-vzryva/massovaya-evakuaciya-shkol-italii-posle-ugroz-vzryva-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Approximately 6,300 Italian schools were evacuated after receiving bomb threat emails.
- Similar threats in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland were classified as hoaxes with no disruption to classes.
- The message was signed 'Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Misogynistan Vilayat' and included threats against PM Meloni.
- Authorities and experts are divided on the authorship: Russia, Iran, and non-state 'attention-seekers' are mentioned.

On Wednesday, approximately 6,300 schools in Italy were evacuated after receiving emails containing bomb threats. This is the latest in a series of incidents and cyberattacks targeting everyday infrastructure in Europe — from supermarkets and blood banks to air transport and broadcasters. Schools closed immediately after the warnings were received, and many parents left work to collect their children. According to a national security source, the emails were public and sending them "was as easy as drinking a glass of water."

### Mass evacuation and parental reaction

The evacuation proceeded quickly but caused significant distress among students and families. "My daughter Daphne started crying because the children didn't understand what was happening, and when I picked her up, she was still shaken," said Nancy Bego, a parent of a student at the Maddalena Mazzini middle school in Rome. Another parent called the situation "very annoying," noting that "this is clearly a fake that disrupts lessons and ruins everyone's day." One Roman school informed parents via messaging app: "All students are in a safe area and remain under the supervision of the teaching staff."

### "Mikhail Andropov" signature and threats against the Prime Minister

A copy of the message, reviewed by Reuters, was signed "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Misogynistan Vilayat." The text also contained a threat against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The head of government stated that the bomb threats did not pose a danger and that the police and other state bodies were monitoring the situation. The same alleged author, according to reports, claimed responsibility for bomb threat emails sent to media outlets in Ireland and Bulgaria on Friday.

### A wave of threats beyond Italy

Similar electronic threats from abroad were also received by many schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, though the messages were classified as hoaxes and did not lead to class cancellations. In Ireland, local media reported that police also treated the recent threats as false alarms, although there were delays and evacuations in some schools. Thus, a single pattern of threats can be traced across several countries, indicating a centralized campaign.

### Who is behind the campaign: conflicting theories

Attributing responsibility for the series of incidents remains a subject of dispute. A number of European officials suspect that Russia is behind the campaign to destabilize daily life in countries supporting Ukraine; Moscow denies this and accuses the West of a smear campaign. Iran also figures among the suspects: on Tuesday, France summoned the Iranian ambassador, accusing Tehran of a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets last week. However, not all incidents are linked to foreign states.

### Assessment by authorities and the school community

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that the Wednesday threats are part of a "clear strategy to sow fear and anxiety," but added that this is "not always the work of foreign states or hostile structures: there are those who seek attention, and madmen who at such times cannot wait to scare a city or region." The head of the Association of Italian School Principals, Antonello Giannelli, emphasized that the threats upset students, families, and staff, and even if they are clearly false, "one cannot underestimate the consequences of incidents that alarm entire school communities and disrupt normal learning activities."

## Accounts differ

### Authorship of the campaign of threats and cyberattacks in Europe

- **A number of European officials:** Suspect that Russia is behind the campaign to destabilize daily life in countries supporting Ukraine. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/italy-schools-evacuated-identical-bomb-threat-russia-iran-rcna608717))
- **Russia:** Denies involvement and accuses the West of a smear campaign. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/italy-schools-evacuated-identical-bomb-threat-russia-iran-rcna608717))
- **France:** Accuses Iran of a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets and summoned the Iranian ambassador. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/italy-schools-evacuated-identical-bomb-threat-russia-iran-rcna608717))
- **Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto:** Points out that not all incidents are the work of foreign states: there are attention-seekers and 'madmen' wishing to scare a city or region. ([nbcnews.com](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/italy-schools-evacuated-identical-bomb-threat-russia-iran-rcna608717))

*Where they agree:* Threat emails were received, and schools in Italy were evacuated — this fact is confirmed by all sources.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Thousands of hoax bomb alerts sent to schools in Italy, U.K. and Ireland](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/italy-schools-evacuated-identical-bomb-threat-russia-iran-rcna608717) - Primary source (Reuters): ~6,300 Italian schools, evacuation, author's signature, threat to Meloni, theories about Russia/Iran, statements by Crosetto and Giannelli.
- [Threatening emails sent to hundreds of schools in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Italy treated as hoaxes, police say](https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/threatening-emails-sent-to-hundreds-of-schools-in-northern-ireland-scotland-and-italy-treated-as-hoaxes-police-say/ar-AA2hdA0G) - Confirms that police in Northern Ireland and Scotland classified the threats as hoaxes.
- [Bomb threats at 6,300 schools in Italy sparks mass evacuation as email warns of ‘annihilation’ after UK hit by alerts](https://www.thesun.ie/news/17901932/bomb-threats-evacuate-italian-schools/) - Matches in number (~6,000–6,300) and the fact of mass evacuation; quote from the letter 'annihilate you'.
- [Cork principal describes disruption as fresh wave of bomb threat emails targets schools](https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/national/bomb-threat-emails-sent-to-cork-schools-declared-a-hoax-by-garda%C3%AD/ar-AA2hcu7l) - Confirms the Irish context: statements by a Cork school principal, response from An Garda Síochána, delays.

## FAQ

### How many schools were evacuated in Italy?

According to Reuters, approximately 6,300 schools in Italy received bomb threat emails and were evacuated on Wednesday.

### Did the threats cause class disruptions in the UK and Ireland?

No. In Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, similar messages from abroad were classified as hoaxes, and classes were not disrupted.

### Who signed the threatening email?

A copy of the message, reviewed by Reuters, was signed 'Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Misogynistan Vilayat'.

### Who, according to authorities, is behind the campaign?

Theories vary: some European officials suspect Russia (which Moscow denies), Iran is mentioned in connection with a separate cyberattack on supermarkets, and the Italian Defense Minister also pointed to the potential role of non-state actors seeking attention.