After hoaxes to flights, newsrooms in Bulgaria and Ireland get threats

News organizations in Ireland and Bulgaria received emailed threats during a wider wave of hoax warnings affecting passenger flights across Europe. RTE, Ireland’s public broadcaster, evacuated its offices and stopped programming. Bulgaria’s Nova TV also received a message, while Britain’s Sky reported a security threat. The incidents mattered because threats to media organizations appeared alongside repeated disruptions to air travel.

The emails were headed “Message to the West.” A purported sender named “Mikhail Andropov” claimed responsibility and described the warnings as a prelude to attacks on transport. Reuters could not confirm the sender’s identity, where the emails originated, or whether the same source sent all the messages. That uncertainty linked the newsroom warnings to the flight disruptions without proving a common origin.

The reports added to concern about a wider campaign of hybrid disruption. Around half a dozen flights were disrupted Tuesday, and more than two dozen Thursday. On Friday, direct effects on air travel were much smaller, although one Wizz Air flight was diverted and some flights received Hungarian military escorts.

A hoax bomb threat is a false or unverified warning about an explosive device. It can still cause real disruption because officials must consider the possibility that the warning is genuine. Protecting people takes priority over keeping a newsroom open or an aircraft on schedule. The article describes threats that were not proven real, yet they prompted visible safety responses.

For example, RTE evacuated its offices and suspended programming after receiving an emailed threat. A Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice after a hoax warning. Hungarian jets also escorted airliners through Hungarian airspace. These actions create distance, time, and opportunities for authorities to assess the danger while limiting exposure to passengers, staff, or the public.

The article does not describe the precise screening procedures used in each case. It does show that uncertainty itself can produce major effects. Reuters could not establish the sender, email origin, or common source. Until those questions are resolved, authorities may continue treating similar warnings cautiously, even when many appear to be hoaxes.

The week’s disruption was concentrated before Friday. Around half a dozen flights were disrupted in some way on Tuesday, followed by more than two dozen on Thursday. Those figures show how quickly repeated warnings can affect air travel across several countries. The article does not give one precise total for the entire week, so the reported figures should not be treated as a complete count.

Friday was quieter for direct air-travel disruption. An Italian airport authority source said a Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice. Hungarian jets also escorted flights from Brussels to Sofia and from Prague to Bucharest and Cyprus through Hungarian airspace. These measures affected operations, but the article describes overall Friday disruption as much lower.

The contrast suggests that the warnings continued without producing the same scale of cancellations or diversions. Newsrooms also received threats Friday, adding pressure beyond aviation. The article does not state how many flights were delayed, cancelled, searched, or escorted in total, nor does it provide a final weekly figure.

When a bomb threat may be credible, normal travel plans can change immediately. Authorities may remove people from a building, hold or divert an aircraft, restrict movement, and investigate the warning. The aim is to create time and distance while checking whether danger exists. Even an unconfirmed message can therefore affect passengers, airline schedules, airport capacity, and public communications.

The article gives several concrete examples. RTE evacuated its offices and suspended programming. A Wizz Air flight traveling from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice. Hungarian jets escorted airliners from Brussels to Sofia and from Prague to Bucharest and Cyprus through Hungarian airspace. These steps show how responses can range from evacuation to rerouting and air surveillance.

Passengers may face delays, missed connections, uncertainty, or a changed destination. Airlines must rearrange aircraft, crews, and passenger handling. Airports must manage arrivals, security activity, and disrupted schedules. The article does not quantify those costs or describe every procedure. It does show that Friday’s direct disruption was limited despite more than a dozen hoax threats.

In this situation, “hybrid aggression” means pressure that combines disruption, threats, and uncertainty rather than relying only on conventional military force. “Psychological warfare” focuses on fear and public confidence. Hoax warnings can interrupt flights, empty offices, attract intense attention, and make people question whether the next threat is real. The damage can therefore extend beyond any single airport or newsroom.

The messages to RTE and Nova TV claimed that transport attacks were coming. At the same time, warnings affected flights across Europe. Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said Europe appeared to face “hybrid aggression and a form of psychological warfare.” The article links that assessment to the pattern of repeated warnings, not to proof that one actor sent them all.

The immediate effect was uneven. Around half a dozen flights were disrupted Tuesday and more than two dozen Thursday, while Friday saw much less direct air-travel disruption. Still, the threats created concern among officials and involved NATO air patrols. Their broader implication was continuing pressure on public institutions and transport systems.

Some European officials connected the threats to countries supporting Ukraine because the disruptions appeared across Europe and were seen as pressure on states backing Kyiv. The article describes the activity as a possible campaign of hybrid disruption. Such a campaign could seek to frighten the public, interfere with transport, and burden institutions without openly claiming a conventional attack.

The suspected connection is not confirmed. Messages to RTE and Nova TV came from a purported “Mikhail Andropov,” who claimed responsibility for a widening wave of hoax threats. Reuters could not establish the sender’s identity, the emails’ origin, or whether they came from the same source as warnings affecting dozens of flights. Those limits are central to understanding the officials’ claims.

Moscow has denied involvement. The article provides no independent evidence proving Russian responsibility. It reports concern among European officials, including Spain’s foreign minister, but leaves attribution unresolved. As a result, governments must respond to the disruptions and investigate their source while avoiding certainty that the available facts do not support.

When a threat may be real, air travel safety depends on several organizations sharing information and acting at different levels. Airlines and airports manage flights, passengers, diversions, and local security. National authorities assess the warning and decide whether aircraft or buildings need protection. Military forces can monitor or escort aircraft when officials judge that extra air surveillance is needed.

The article illustrates this layered response. A Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome diverted to Venice. Hungarian jets escorted airliners from Brussels to Sofia and from Prague to Bucharest and Cyprus through Hungarian airspace. Defence minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said NATO had ordered some air patrols in the area. These actions occurred even though the threat source was not established.

The article does not detail the specific communication systems or decision rules used. It does show coordination across airlines, airports, governments, Hungary’s military, and NATO. The challenge is balancing caution with continuity: officials must protect passengers while avoiding unnecessary disruption when repeated warnings may be hoaxes.