Thousands of hoax bomb alerts sent to schools in Italy, U.K. and Ireland
Thousands of schools across Europe received identical emailed bomb threats, forcing widespread evacuations in Italy while police treated UK alerts as hoaxes.
Thousands of schools across Europe faced coordinated security scares after receiving identical emailed bomb threats on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, forcing widespread evacuations in Italy while police in the United Kingdom and Ireland treated the alerts as non-credible hoaxes.
The wave of warnings struck educational institutions on Wednesday, NBC News reported. The Italian Education Ministry stated that an anonymous email reached roughly 6,300 schools, with hundreds of institutions proactively evacuating students in major urban centers such as Rome, Milan, and Turin. Parents rushed from their workplaces to collect children, many of whom were dismissed without jackets or school bags under emergency protocols managed via digital applications like ClasseViva, according to GMA Network.
Media additions
In contrast, educational authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland did not mandate widespread closures. Global News noted that while over 300 schools in Northern Ireland and roughly 1,000 schools across Scotland reported receiving the threatening message, local law enforcement assessed the notices as lacking credible risk. Police Scotland advised that classes could continue normally.
| Region | Estimated Schools Reached | Evacuation Status |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | ~6,300 (via Ministry data) / over 300 directly reporting alerts | Widespread evacuations and temporary closures |
| Scotland | ~1,000 | Classed as hoaxes; no mandatory evacuations |
| Northern Ireland | ~300 | Treated as hoaxes; schools remained open |
Thethreatening messages carried inflammatory text and a specific signature. According to The News, the emails read:
The text also claimed a device was placed in the engine of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's car and was signed by "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan." The Economic Times highlighted that the same name had been used in previous hoax threats directed at newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria."We have come to annihilate you. We will carry out genocide against the Italians."
Anonymous email text via The News
Prime Minister Meloni addressed the public in a video message shared on X, stating that the government would not yield to anonymous intimidation.
She added that security checks confirmed no concrete danger existed."Whoever did this wanted a nation that was paralyzed and afraid. They will find a nation that wakes up tomorrow, takes its children to school, and goes to work. That is the response, and it is the strongest one we have,"
Giorgia Meloni, Italian Premier, via Global News
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto characterized the incident as part of an ongoing strategy to generate public alarm. As reported by The SOFX Report, Crosetto cautioned against automatically assuming state-sponsored actors are behind every disruption, noting that there are also attention-seekers and lunatics who, at a time like this, cannot wait to unleash terror.
Western security officials are investigating whether the school alerts connect to a broader pattern of hybrid warfare impacting European infrastructure. Previous weeks saw false bomb threats disrupt commercial flights across the continent, alongside cyberattacks disabling supermarket refrigeration systems and targeting blood banks, according to Plataforma Media. While some European politicians have suspected potential involvement from Russia or Iran in campaigns against nations supporting Ukraine, both governments have denied responsibility, and investigators have not formally attributed the school hoaxes to any state entity.
What to watch next
- Italian authorities announced that standard classes would resume across affected districts following completed safety inspections.
- Police Scotland’s cyber and fraud unit confirmed ongoing collaboration with international security agencies to trace the origins of the emails.
- Further parliamentary reports on national security and hybrid threats are expected from Italian defense officials.
