European Security Services Probe Possible Russian Role in Wave of Bomb Threats

European security services are investigating a possible Russian link to a series of bomb threats received this week against aircraft, airports and media newsrooms in several European countries, the British newspaper the Financial Times reports. Some intelligence officials consider Russia the most likely organiser of the campaign, but an anonymous source told the paper that establishing who is responsible is still a long way off.

What happened

On Thursday and Friday, several European cities received messages claiming that explosives had been placed on nearly 30 aircraft and at a number of airports. Checks found nothing dangerous or suspicious, so the threats proved unfounded. On Friday, newsrooms of several European television channels, including a number of Irish media outlets, received similar warnings.

What is known about the origin of the messages

One message was sent in the name of the Russian organisation "Men's State", but the organisation denies any connection. The other messages carried no indication of an author. They were sent from various geographic locations and were written in the languages of the recipients. One message was traced to Colombia.

Theories under consideration

One of the versions being examined is that the threats were sent by activists or hacker groups loyal to the Kremlin. However, it remains unclear what role, if any, Russian intelligence services may have played. No official claims about those responsible have been made so far, and the investigation continues.