At least 27 flights across Europe were disrupted by bomb threats on Nov. 5. All affected aircraft landed safely, and no explosives were found. (Foto: Instagram)
At least 27 flights across Europe were affected by bomb threats on Thursday, Nov. 5, prompting aircraft diversions, unscheduled landings and military fighter escorts. Emails sent to airports and civil aviation authorities included messages purportedly signed by members of the Russian ultranationalist group Male State. The group’s involvement has not been confirmed. All affected aircraft landed safely, and no explosives were found.
The incidents affected France, Italy, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Romania and Austria. Authorities activated emergency procedures to protect passengers and crews. In one case, an Aer Lingus Airbus A320 traveling from Dublin to Rome was intercepted by French fighter jets and redirected to the Évreux military base in northern France. Its 151 passengers and six crew members disembarked without injuries.
In Bulgaria, fighter jets escorted three Ryanair aircraft. One flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv. In Italy, a Finnair plane also received a military escort while traveling to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. The alerts led to disruptions across several countries, though the aircraft involved reached the ground safely.
The emails threatened explosions and accused European governments. Some senders claimed to represent Male State and used hateful language targeting women and political institutions. The movement originated in Russia and became known for intimidation campaigns and online attacks against women and minorities. Russian courts designated it an extremist organization in 2021. The group began supporting Moscow’s military offensive against Ukraine the following year.
Experts cautioned that the use of the group’s name in the emails does not establish that it was involved. The identities of those responsible remain unknown. The threats also come amid wider European concern about hybrid warfare, a term for actions such as sabotage and cyberattacks intended to create instability without direct conventional military conflict.
European governments have previously accused Russia of involvement in such activity, allegations Moscow has denied. However, there is no publicly available evidence tying the recent threats against aircraft to the Russian government. European Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas condemned threats against passengers and said it was too early to determine whether the incidents were connected.
The latest alerts followed similar incidents on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when at least 10 commercial flights were also targeted with false bomb threats. European authorities are investigating the source of the messages and whether the cases are linked. Airports and airlines are reinforcing security procedures as the investigation continues.
