From Foreign Policy · Beniamino Irdi · · 2m
Russia’s Cheapest Weapon in Its Hybrid War Is Fear
Europe faces coordinated cyber threats that cost more than they cost to launch.
In brief
Europe faces coordinated cyber threats that cost more than they cost to launch. Russia’s false bomb threats in Europe force costly evacuations without attribution. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
False Bomb Threats Target Europe
On Nov. 11, 6,000 Italian schools received identical emails from a 'Mikhail Andropov' claiming a remote-triggered bomb would kill survivors with knives.
“A 'powerful explosive device with a remote trigger' had been left inside the building, the message said, and the survivors would be finished off with knives”
Coordinated Threats Across Europe
The same email reached over 300 northern ireland schools and scottish police on Nov. 11, with similar threats in irish newsrooms and bulgarian airports five days earlier.
“The emails claimed responsibility for a wave of false threats that, between nov. 3 and nov. 6, targeted at least 35 passenger flights across europe”
Italian Response to Threats
Italian prime minister giorgia meloni convened an emergency meeting with intelligence services and the national cybersecurity agency at palazzo chigi in rome by midday.
“By midday, italian prime minister giorgia meloni had convened an emergency meeting with italy’s intelligence services and national cybersecurity agency at palazzo chigi in rome”
Threats Target Schools and Airports
Italian schools had already been targeted on october 19 and november 2, when an email reached nearly 280 education facilities with the same text.
“Italian schools had already been targeted on oct. 19 and again on nov. 2, when an email with the same text reached nearly 280 education facilities”
Hybrid War Strategy
The threats aim to generate fear and distrust in institutions by showing how cheaply europe can be disrupted without physical violence.
“The threats, she said, appear to be part of a strategy to generate alarm and concern”
Attribution Challenges
Threats have worn three masks: iran’s revolutionary guards on nov. 2, the male state on nov. 5, and a pseudonym evoking a long-dead soviet leader since nov. 6.
“The senders of this month’s threatening emails have worn three masks: iran’s revolutionary guards on nov. 2, the male state on nov. 5, and a pseudonym evoking a long-dead soviet leader since nov. 6”
Cost of False Alarms
Each hoax triggers evacuations, bomb-disposal teams, aircraft diversions, fighter-jet scrambles, and lost school days for a cost far exceeding the attack’s simplicity.
“The authors of the 'message to the west' boasted of having caused widespread panic and forcing european authorities to spend a fortune on their emergency procedures”
European Deterrence Challenge
European governments must balance attribution uncertainty with the need to impose costs on attackers without naming them directly.
“We may not know with certainty who is behind the next wave, but if it happens, we will impose costs based on the available evidence”
Cross-Border Coordination
A unified european response is needed to prevent attackers from exploiting divisions between national responses.
“A response that each country calibrates on its own invites the attacker to probe for the weakest link”
Real-Time Information Sharing
Sharing threat patterns across europe helps identify coordinated campaigns and reduces the cost of false alarms.
“When thousands of schools receive the same threatening email at the same moment, and that fact is known within minutes by everyone concerned, then the threat largely diagnoses itself”
Hybrid Warfare Impact
The attacks show how easily europe’s institutions can be disrupted without physical violence, undermining public confidence in security.
“The threats are aimed at citizens’ confidence that their institutions can protect them”
Military Response
Italian defense minister guido crosetto warned that hoaxers will only multiply as false alarms become more common.
“Italian defense minister guido crosetto predicted that such hoaxers will only multiply”
European Unity Required
Europe must find political will to respond collectively to hybrid threats without national divisions.
“Europe can answer at both ends, but only if it finds the unity and political will to do it”
Next Steps
European governments must act quickly to share threat intelligence and impose costs on attackers without full attribution.
“We will impose costs based on the available evidence, even if that evidence is incomplete”
In short
Russia’s false bomb threats in Europe force costly evacuations without attribution.
