The key facts
- A new wave of threats affected schools in Veneto, Liguria, Umbria, Lazio and Sicily
- The day before, about 6,000 schools across Italy received similar messages
- A letter with the threat arrived at Palazzo Chigi, but no check was carried out there
What happened
On Thursday, November 12, schools in several Italian regions — Veneto, Liguria, Umbria, Lazio and Sicily — received email messages about explosive devices planted on the premises. Some schools evacuated students and staff, while others carried out checks without interrupting classes. Information about the wave of threats and the subsequent evacuations was reported by the ANSA news agency.
Scale and targets of the threats
The new wave came a day after, on Wednesday, about 6,000 schools across the country received similar messages, leading to mass evacuations. According to ANSA, the letters are signed with the name 'Mikhail Andropov' — the author claims to lead a pro-Russian group called 'Vilayat Mizoginistan'. The threats also affected Palazzo Chigi — the office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: the message claimed that an explosive device had been planted in the building.
The authorities' response
No check was carried out in the government building: ANSA sources called the warning yet another unfounded alert. 'There are no specific signs that this is a real threat,' the agency quotes the sources as saying. The reports do not mention any arrests or the progress of the investigation.
