Television stations across Europe were thrown into chaos Friday after receiving chilling bomb threats warning that explosives had been planted inside their buildings, forcing evacuations and knocking programming off the air.
Major broadcasters in Ireland, Britain and Bulgaria were among those targeted in the coordinated-looking scare, which came amid a wave of similar threats against passenger aircraft across the continent.
Authorities launched emergency security sweeps as employees were ordered to evacuate newsrooms and broadcasting facilities.
No explosive devices were discovered at any of the affected television stations, according to Reuters.
But the threatening messages were enough to bring operations at several major media outlets to a halt.
One email sent to Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE and Bulgaria’s Nova TV claimed that an explosive device had already been placed inside their buildings.
“We want the whole world to know about us, which is why one of our operatives has planted an explosive device in your building,” the message read.
“It will detonate in 45 minutes. The clock is ticking.”
The warning triggered an immediate response from law enforcement, with police rushing to secure the affected facilities.
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In Dublin, RTE suspended normal programming as staff evacuated the broadcaster’s headquarters.
Television and radio broadcasts were replaced with music and prerecorded announcements while officers searched the premises.
Some programming disruptions lasted approximately three hours before employees were permitted to return.
Meanwhile, police descended on Nova TV’s newsroom in Sofia, Bulgaria, evacuating workers and conducting a security inspection.
Investigators ultimately declared the building safe, allowing employees to return without significant disruption to the station’s broadcasts.
British broadcaster Sky also confirmed receiving a security threat.
The incidents followed several days of bomb scares involving commercial flights traveling across Europe.
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Aircraft operating between destinations in Serbia, Finland, Spain and other countries were subjected to threats that forced pilots and airline operators to take additional security precautions.
Some flights were diverted or made emergency landings while authorities searched aircraft for potential explosives.
No bombs were discovered in the reported incidents.
The threatening emails sent to broadcasters carried the subject line “MESSAGE TO THE WEST” and were signed by someone identifying himself as Mikhail Andropov.
The purported sender claimed to be a leader of the group responsible for the recent aviation threats.
The message also included an ominous warning suggesting the disruptions could continue.
“But this is only the beginning. What happened this week is just a small part of what awaits Europe in the near future,” the email stated.
The name attached to the threats raised additional questions because it shares a surname with Yuri Andropov, the former Soviet leader who headed the Communist Party during the early 1980s.
The email’s subject line also bore similarities to the title of a biography about the Soviet official.
However, investigators have not established whether the references indicate Russian involvement or were deliberately included to mislead authorities.
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There is no confirmed evidence identifying Moscow or any other government as responsible for the threats.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin acknowledged that European security agencies were still working to determine whether the incidents were connected.
He said investigators had not established whether the threats originated from individual perpetrators or a broader organized operation.
“It just illustrates how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption and to undermine the normal operation of society through unconventional activities of this kind, which are designed to cause disruption, designed to cause fear and anxiety,” Martin told RTE radio.
“We have to remain calm,” he added.
The incidents have intensified concerns about the vulnerability of European transportation networks, broadcasters and other essential services to threats capable of disrupting daily operations without an actual explosive device.
They also come amid heightened security concerns across Europe following recent cyberattacks targeting supermarkets and other businesses.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the origin of the messages and whether the threats against television stations are connected to those targeting commercial aviation.
For now, the identity of the person or group responsible remains unknown.
All affected broadcasting facilities searched Friday were cleared after security inspections, and no explosive devices were recovered.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
