Schools across Italy were evacuated on ‌Wednesday after around 6,300 of them received bomb warnings, the latest in a series of threats and cyberattacks around Europe against supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and broadcasters. Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland said many of their schools received a similar email threat from abroad, but it was classed as ​a hoax and did not disrupt classes. In Italy, schools closed swiftly after the warnings, prompting many parents to drop what they ​were doing to collect children. Read: French officials blame Iran for refrigerator hacks, vow retaliation At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving a bomb alert message, according to the Italian government. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the alerts were presumed to be hoaxes, adding that the number of schools affected was expected… pic.twitter.com/Y2cGNyqhR7 — CBS News (@CBSNews) November 11, 2026 "My daughter Dafne started crying because the kids did not understand what ⁠was happening, and she was still shaken when I picked her up," said Nensi Bego, parent of a child at ​the Mazzini middle school in Rome. "This is so annoying. It's obvious it's just a hoax that disrupts lessons and disrupts everyone's ​day." A copy of the message seen by Reuters also included a threat to target Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. She said the bomb alerts posed no danger and that police and other public bodies were monitoring the situation. "All students have been taken to a safe area and remain under the supervision ​of teaching staff," one school in Rome informed parents through a messaging app. The email received in Italy was signed "Mikhail Andropov, ​leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan," according to a copy of the message seen by Reuters. “The (school) emails are public. (Sending the bomb alert messages) was ‌as ⁠easy as drinking a glass of water,” a national security source told Reuters. On 11/11/26, several schools in Scotland & across the UK received threatening messages. Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public. More info 👉 https://t.co/DaJ4U6S7gI pic.twitter.com/FOuwbczgAz — Police Scotland (@PoliceScotland) November 11, 2026 The same purported author claimed responsibility for email bomb threats sent on Friday to newsrooms in Ireland and Bulgaria. Russia and Iran deny accusations Some European officials suspect Russia may be behind a campaign of disruption to everyday life in European nations supporting Ukraine after Moscow's invasion. Read More: Newsroom bomb threats add to Euro flight hoaxes Russia denies that and accuses the West of ​a smear campaign. Iran is another ​suspect. France summoned Iran's ambassador on ⁠Tuesday after accusing Tehran of a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in hundreds of supermarkets last week. Iran rejected those accusations as "baseless and hostile". Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Wednesday's threats were part of ​a clear strategy "to spread fear and create anxiety," according to Adnkronos news agency. Una riunione a Palazzo Chigi è stata convocata per le 16 dell’11 novembre dalla premier Giorgia Meloni a seguito delle segnalazioni di ordigni nelle scuole registrate questa mattina in diverse città italiane. Obiettivo: fare il punto sulla situazione e coordinare le iniziative… pic.twitter.com/0pQ8zAMdGn — Repubblica (@repubblica) November 11, 2026 "It is not ​always the work ⁠of foreign countries or hostile entities. There are also attention-seekers and lunatics who, at a time like this, cannot wait to unleash terror in a city or a region," he added. Antonello Giannelli, head of the Italian School Principals Association, said the alerts were upsetting ⁠for students, ​families and school staff. "Even though today’s threats are clearly hoaxes, we cannot ​underestimate the consequences of incidents that alarm entire school communities and disrupt the normal conduct of educational activities," he said.