Hoax Bomb Threats Hit European Newsrooms as Hybrid Disruption Campaign Widens

Newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria received emailed bomb threats on Friday, the latest in a series of hoax security alerts that have disrupted passenger flights across Europe since early in the week, according to international media reports. The messages were sent to Bulgaria's Nova TV and to Ireland's public broadcaster RTE, which evacuated its offices and suspended programming while authorities checked the premises. British broadcaster Sky also said it had received a security threat, and no explosive devices were found in any of the incidents.

The emails, reportedly headlined "Message to the West," portrayed the threats as a prelude to a broader series of attacks on transport networks across Europe. Reuters said it could not independently establish the identity of the sender, the origin of the messages, or whether they came from the same source behind the dozens of flight-related threats logged since Tuesday. The agency noted that the alerts may originate from multiple actors, including possible copycats.

European officials have voiced growing concern that the hoaxes form part of a wider campaign of what they describe as "hybrid" disruptions targeting countries that have supported Ukraine. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Europe appeared to be facing "hybrid aggression and a form of psychological warfare." Moscow has denied any involvement, and no government has formally attributed blame for the specific threats.

The disruption to air travel has been substantial. Around half a dozen flights were affected in some way on Tuesday, and more than two dozen on Thursday, with some aircraft making unplanned landings or being escorted by fighter jets. On Friday, an Italian airport authority source said a Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, though overall disruption was lighter than in preceding days despite more than a dozen hoax alerts.

Hungarian fighter jets escorted airliners traveling from Brussels to Sofia and from Prague to Bucharest and Cyprus through Hungarian airspace. Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said NATO had ordered air patrols in the area, the first indication that the Western alliance had become directly involved in the response. All affected flights landed safely, and authorities reported no credible explosive devices.

Security experts suggest the threats could be intended to punish European nations that have armed or financed Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, though they caution that individuals issuing false trails, copycat threats, or acting on personal grievances remain a possibility. The alerts follow a series of sabotage attempts across Europe, including incidents at German electricity substations, defense-related facilities in the Baltic region, and supermarket refrigeration units in France. Germany has directly blamed Russia for a drone attack on Leipzig airport.