Far-right Russian extremists take responsibility for bomb threats on Rome-bound flights - report

A far-right Russian anti-feminist extremist group named the "Male State" has taken responsibility for the bomb hoax received regarding two Italy-bound flights, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) reported on Thursday afternoon.

The group advocates patriarchy and Russian nationalism primarily online, despite having been banned from Russia in 2021.

According to ANSA, Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) received an email titled "reporting a threat" earlier in the day, which was signed by the extremist group.

"You are all complicit in a criminal conspiracy. We want to destroy you for this," wrote the group in an email shared by ASNA. "We, fighters of the Male State, will leave a mark on history with our actions today. Your feminist regime will remember it forever."

The group claimed to have placed explosives on Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin and Finnair flight AY1761 from Helsinki, warning that an "explosion will occur in 60 minutes."

"Your sky will be red today," the email ended.

After receiving the threat, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said the Aer Lingus flight had been safely diverted to France's Evreux airbase, about 100km outside Paris.

The Italian air force safely escorted the Finnair flight to its scheduled landing in Rome, a source close to the matter said.

At least 25 other bomb threat hoaxes called in across European airlines

The Male State's alleged threat came amid a wave of at least 25 other hoax bomb threats that hit flights around Europe on Thursday from Ireland to Bulgaria, the second wave this week, forcing some to make unplanned landings and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept others.

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, ⁠they come as many European officials are accusing Russia of masterminding sabotage and "hybrid attacks," often cheap, easily deniable and not expected to trigger an armed response.

Denmark, Poland and Romania, all affected by Thursday's disruptions, have previously accused Moscow directly, while Germany blamed Russia for an attack on Leipzig airport in August. Britain has blamed Russia in the past but linked Iran to a suspected plot to attack a US air base. Both Russia and Iran deny any involvement.

Eric Schouten, head of the aviation security group Dyami, said most affected countries supported Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion.

"From a geopolitical view, I'm thinking, you always have to think about the scenario of hybrid warfare, where a country, in this way, today we are looking at Russia, right?, is attacking us on multiple fronts, from railways to supermarkets to blood banks, most recently. The energy sector, the internet sector, and the aviation sector are among those," he said.

Flights to Milan, Rome, Paris, Prague, Sofia affected

Bulgaria's air force said its fighter jets had escorted three airliners to the ground. Ryanair planes from Copenhagen and Madrid to Sofia landed as planned while a flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city.

Spanish authorities received three emailed bomb threats in under 20 minutes involving two Air Europa departures from Madrid to Paris and four inbound Iberia flights from Rome and Milan, Spain's Guardia Civil said.

Authorities halted or returned several aircraft in Madrid to their stands, and passengers disembarked while planes were inspected.

In Warsaw, a LOT flight to Paris was stopped as it taxied towards take-off and passengers were transferred to another aircraft. A flight from Cork in Ireland was delayed 90 minutes after the airport received a threat, the airport operator said.

Police said two planes were searched at Copenhagen airport in Denmark.

Italian media reported that a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw had been diverted to Vienna.

Two Easyjet flights from Britain, one flight from Ireland and one from Greece landed as scheduled in Prague after receiving bomb threats, as did a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna, a Polish LOT flight from Warsaw to Brussels, a Hungarian Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest, and an Air Serbia flight from Belgrade, also to Bucharest.