Fighter jets from Italy, France and Bulgaria have been scrambled to intercept commercial aircraft after a third consecutive day of hoax bomb threats struck around 20 European flights, forcing diversions, emergency inspections and, in one case, an unplanned landing at a French military base. No explosives were found on any aircraft, but the coordinated wave of threats has drawn the attention of European security officials and raised suspicions about the involvement of a far-right Russian group.
What Happened: Flights Diverted, Jets Scrambled
The disruptions affected a range of carriers including Ryanair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, Finnair, LOT Polish Airlines and Scandinavian Airlines, with low-cost carriers and routes connected to Bulgaria, Italy and the Czech Republic appearing to be particular targets.
Among the most significant incidents, French fighter jets intercepted an Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin to Rome, forcing it to land at the Evreux military base, approximately 100 kilometres west of Paris. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said the interception was ordered after the pilot did not cooperate as expected with authorities. The local prosecutor indicated the pilot had allegedly refused to land at the military facility, preferring a civilian airport instead. All 151 passengers and six crew members were confirmed safe, with military bomb disposal teams examining the aircraft.
Aer Lingus later said the airline and its pilots had fully cooperated with French authorities regarding the matter.
In Bulgaria, the air force escorted three Ryanair aircraft bound for Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen and London. All three were inspected on the ground, with no explosives discovered. A separate Ryanair service from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv Airport, east of the capital, while a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was rerouted to Vienna.
Italy's air force escorted a Finnair service from Helsinki to its scheduled destination in Rome. Belgian media also reported that a LOT Polish Airlines aircraft made an unplanned landing at Brussels' Zaventem Airport.
In total, at least three flights were diverted and at least five received military air escorts before landing safely.
Threatening Messages and the Suspected Group
While no group formally claimed responsibility, threatening emails sent to Sofia Airport and to the company managing Rome's airports contained strikingly similar language. Messages viewed by a major international news agency warned of explosive devices placed aboard Ryanair flights and included violent, misogynistic rhetoric directed at what the senders called a "feminist regime."
One message read: "We, fighters of the Male State, with our actions today will leave a mark in history. Your feminist regime will remember it forever. The explosion will occur in 60 minutes. Today your skies will turn red."
A British airport also confirmed it received a comparable hoax threat attributed to a group named "Men's State," understood to refer to the same organisation.
There is a far-right movement in Russia known as the Male State. The founder of Inpact, a non-governmental organisation that monitors clandestine Russian activities, described the group as one that uses Nazi symbolism and claims thousands of members. The group was designated an extremist organisation by Russian courts in 2021 but went on to publicly support Russia's invasion of Ukraine the following year. Whether those behind the current threats have any formal connection to the movement has not been confirmed by authorities.
"Today we don't know to what extent they are connected to those in power," the Inpact founder said.
The threats come amid a broader pattern of suspected Russian sabotage operations in Europe, including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and unexplained triggers to alert applications. European officials have pointed to both Russia and Iran as sources of what they describe as hybrid attack campaigns, though Moscow and Tehran both deny involvement in any such activities.
A Widening Pattern: Earlier Incidents and the Sydney Connection
The latest wave follows two previous days of similar disruption. On the Tuesday before this outbreak, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats across Europe, causing widespread disruption at airports, though again no devices were found. A flight bound for Bulgaria was also diverted to Hungary after receiving a bomb threat mid-air the day before that.
The wave of threats has not been confined to Europe. In Sydney, an All Nippon Airways flight arriving from Tokyo's Haneda International Airport was met by a large Australian Federal Police presence on the tarmac after threats were sent to the airport shortly after 6pm local time. The aircraft was held at an isolated section of the tarmac for more than an hour while officers, airport security and aviation fire and rescue crews conducted searches. Passengers were required to pass through explosive detection dog checks and had their luggage screened before being allowed to leave. Authorities subsequently cleared the airport and aircraft to resume normal operations.
No Devices Found, But Security Pressure Mounts
Despite the scale of the disruption, no explosive devices were discovered on any of the affected aircraft across Europe or in Sydney. Authorities from multiple countries continue to investigate the origin of the threats, with no government yet formally attributing blame.
The incidents have nonetheless placed significant strain on aviation security resources across the continent and underscored the disruptive power of coordinated hoax campaigns at a time of heightened sensitivity around bomb threats in public spaces. Officials have continued to warn that hybrid threats, even those that prove to be hoaxes, carry real costs in terms of emergency response, passenger welfare and air traffic disruption.
