Male State denies role in European airport bomb threats

The extremist group Male State denied involvement in the series of false bomb threats that disrupted European air travel this week. The group’s representatives dismissed claims that they sent the hoax warnings.

The initial incident began on Thursday morning when a warning email arrived at 07:21. The message was sent to Aeroporti di Roma and Fiumicino airport officials. The originating email address appeared to be linked to state health services in Bogota, Colombia. The text was written in Italian and claimed that Male State fighters planted explosives on two incoming flights. The note described the act as an attack on Italy’s feminist regime. One flight was diverted to land in France. Another was escorted into Rome by Italian air force jets. No explosives were found on either aircraft.

Reports of further threats emerged on Friday. A Ryanair flight from Rome to Lisbon received a warning. A Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice. High-profile Irish media organizations also received bomb threats, forcing evacuations. The Irish government characterized the events as a coordinated campaign of disruption. At least one of these warnings was delivered by phone rather than email.

A Telegram account linked to Vladislav Pozdnyakov, the group’s founder, replied to BBC Russian Service inquiries. The account mocked the suggestion that the group was involved. It stated that Male State had not existed for many years. The message questioned why the group would be contacted for a threat letter signed by Putin. The group was banned in Russia in 2021. Pozdnyakov is believed to live abroad. The organization has since renamed itself Male Legion in some contexts.

An ADR source told the BBC that such warnings are extremely unusual. The source did not recall a similar incident in recent years. Italy’s La Stampa newspaper remains convinced that Male State is responsible. The publication suggested the group is acting as an armed wing for the regime. It noted that attacking and then denying the attacks fits a specific Russian strategy.

Bellingcat, an online investigation team, studied the group in 2022. They described it as a vocal online booster of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The group holds an extremist far-right ideology. One of its Telegram channels features pro-Russian messaging about the war and European tensions.

Italy’s defense minister Guido Crosetto warned of a strategy to increase chaos. He has spoken about a hybrid threat to Europe for years. On Thursday, he cited recent cyberattacks that raised supermarket fridge temperatures. He said there are those with an interest in fuelling tensions. Crosetto stated that the goal is to ensure the country’s security.

The hunt for the culprits continues across Europe. Investigators are determining if the threats were coordinated or sent by copycats. No explosives have been found on any plane that reported a threat.