Thousands of schools in Italy, Ireland and Scotland were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving bomb threats by email. Similar threats have previously been made against European television companies, Irish media outlets and a large number of flights. The common denominator is the sender, “Michail Andropov”.
“It is really impossible to say whether the same person or group is behind it,” says Panu Moilanen, a senior lecturer specialising in security and strategic analysis at the University of Jyväskylä.
He considers it relatively likely that the threats came from the same sender. At the same time, it is well documented that copycats emerge in such situations, he points out.
Wants to imply a Russian connection
He believes the motive for using the name “Michail Andropov” is to imply a connection to Russia, regardless of whether the sender has such a connection or not.
Bomb threats targeting schools or air travellers, as happened several times last week, are an effective way to provoke a strong reaction with little effort. People become frightened and change their behaviour, while the threats trigger police operations, cancelled flights and school evacuations.
“I think the main purpose is to create uncertainty and anxiety, and also to consume society's resources,” says Panu Moilanen.
He believes it is difficult to say whether there is actually a connection to Russia.
“You can never say who is behind it, or you can only say so very late, perhaps several years after it has happened. I would not classify it as a Russian operation, but I can say that it is possible that it is a Russian operation.”
More in the future
He fears we will see more similar incidents in the future. For ordinary citizens, the most important thing is to keep a cool head.
“The most important thing for us ordinary citizens is to stay calm, to be aware that things like this happen, but try not to be afraid. It can be difficult, but it's the only thing we can do. And then the authorities can do what needs to be done.”
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