Russian extremist group denies sending hoax bomb threats
Source: BBC World ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
Bomb threats targeting dozens of European flights this week have been traced to a hoax email that claimed “fighters” of the extremist misogynistic group “Male State” had planted explosives on two incoming flights to Italy, prompting one diversion to France and another escorted into Rome by Italian air‑force jets. The message, sent at 07:21 on Thursday to Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) and staff at Fiumicino Airport, was written in flawless Italian and warned of an attack on Italy’s “feminist regime”. No explosives were found on either aircraft or on any other plane that received similar warnings, and the threats have since spread to Ryanair, Wizz Air and several Irish media outlets, causing evacuations and prompting the Irish government to describe a “co‑ordinated campaign of disruption”. When approached for comment, a Telegram account linked to the group’s founder Vladislav Pozdnyakov denied any involvement, mocking the inquiry and claiming the “Male State” no longer exists, while noting the group was banned in Russia in 2021 and has rebranded in some circles as “Male Legion”.
The origin of the email appears to be a bogus address tied to Colombia’s state health services, and investigators have not confirmed whether similar threats were sent to other airports or airlines. A source at ADR said such warnings are extremely rare, noting they had not seen anything comparable in recent years. Italy’s La Stampa newspaper, however, expressed confidence that the “Male State” was behind the threats, suggesting the group could be acting as “the regime’s armed wing” and framing the denial as part of a Russian strategy to sow chaos. The online investigation team Bellingcat, which studied the group in 2022, described it then as a “vocal and vile online booster” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting its far‑right extremist ideology. The Telegram channel linked to Pozdnyakov continues to circulate pro‑Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine and European tensions, including recent youth protests.
Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto warned that the bomb‑threat hoaxes fit a broader “hybrid threat” pattern aimed at increasing chaos across Europe, citing recent incidents ranging from cyber‑attacks that raised supermarket refrigerator temperatures to disruptions of the blood supply in France. He argued that these actions serve interests that thrive on tension, while stressing the government’s commitment to safeguarding national security. As European authorities continue to investigate whether the spate of hoax emails is centrally coordinated or the work of copycats, the episode underscores the vulnerability of air travel to misinformation and the challenges of attributing responsibility in a landscape of state‑linked extremist groups and disinformation campaigns.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Currency traders elsewhere may start pricing in the fallout within hours.
- ▶A story like this rarely stays local for long in a connected economy.
🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Neighbourhood traders typically adjust subtly rather than all at once.
- ▶The cost of a weekly food shop can creep up in the background.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Savings rates can lag behind a story like this by weeks, not days.
- ▶Central bankers rarely rush; they prefer to see how the dust settles.
❤️Healthhigh impact
What this means for you
- ▶It's easy to underestimate how much stories like this weigh on people.
- ▶Local surgeries and clinics may see a short-lived rise in enquiries.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Markets have a habit of overreacting first and settling down later.
- ▶Portfolios built for the long haul rarely need a rethink over one headline.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶First-time buyers might keep half an eye on mortgage rates after this.
- ▶The property market tends to move slowly, so expect any change to take time.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.