Italian schools hit by fresh bomb threats, premier’s office targeted

Threats sent to schools

Italian news agency ANSA reported that schools in parts of Italy received a new batch of email bomb threats on Thursday, prompting evacuations and security inspections. Messages went to educational institutions in Veneto, Liguria, Umbria, Lazio and Sicily, among the areas affected.

The response differed by school: students and staff were evacuated from some institutions, while others conducted checks with pupils remaining in their classrooms. The new incidents followed similar threats delivered to around 6,000 schools across the country a day earlier, when widespread evacuations took place on Wednesday.

Messages signed by alleged group leader

According to ANSA, the emails bore the signature of Mikhail Andropov, who claims to lead a pro-Russian group known as Vilayat of Misoginistan. The threats also reached Palazzo Chigi, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

A message sent to the government building claimed that an explosive device had been planted there. The warning extended the latest wave of threats beyond educational institutions, according to the report.

Authorities find no specific indication

The latest warning was considered another unfounded alert, sources cited by ANSA said, and authorities did not conduct security inspections at the government building. The sources said, “There is no specific indication that this is a genuine threat.”

Security inspections were carried out at schools in the areas that received the emails, while the government building was not inspected, the sources said.