Russian extremist group denies sending hoax bomb threats

A Russian extremist organisation has denied responsibility for a series of hoax bomb threats targeting Italian airports. The group, which was banned in Russia in 2021 and is led by an individual named Pozdnyakov who is believed to reside abroad, has reportedly rebranded as "Male Legion" in certain regions.

The initial hoax email was sent on Thursday at 07:21 with the subject line "warning of a threat". It was directed at Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) and Fiumicino airport, with the message appearing to originate from an email address connected to state health services in Bogota, Colombia. While it remains unclear if other nations received similar alerts, at least one additional warning was delivered via telephone on Friday.

The Italian-language message claimed that "fighters" from "Male State" had placed explosives on two incoming flights to strike against Italy's "feminist regime". This resulted in one aircraft being diverted to France, while a second was escorted into Rome by Italian air force jets. No explosives were discovered on these or any other flights that received warnings.

A source at ADR described the threats as extremely unusual, noting they could not recall any similar incidents in recent years. Despite the group's denial, the Italian newspaper La Stampa suggested "Male State" was responsible, questioning if it operates as "the regime's armed wing". The publication added that "Attacking, and being able to deny the attacks...is part of the Russian game plan."

The online investigative team at Bellingcat, which examined the group in 2022, identified it as a "vocal and vile online booster" of the Russian invasion with a far-right ideology. Meanwhile, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto has warned of a "strategy to increase chaos" across Europe. He cited a series of incidents, including recent cyber attacks on supermarket refrigerators and issues with the blood supply in France, as evidence of efforts to fuel regional tensions.

"It seems to me that, day after day, from incidents involving refrigerators to the blood supply in France and now these false alarms, there are those who have an interest in fuelling tensions," Crosetto said on Thursday. He added: "Our interest is to do the opposite and ensure the country's security."