Bomb threats targeting airplanes: investigation into a possible link with foreign powers

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the false bomb threats targeting planes flying over French territory, notably to look for a possible link between the perpetrators and "foreign powers", it said on Saturday.

The investigations are "being carried out to find the authors of the emails disclosing this false information in order to make people believe in a dangerous destruction and their possible link with foreign powers," explained the prosecutor's office, contacted by AFP.

On Thursday, an Aer Lingus plane was diverted to Évreux following a bomb threat. On Friday, the Prime Minister's office reported four new alerts concerning aircraft flying over French territory, on which bomb disposal experts carried out safety inspections. Three of these aircraft landed at Orly, and the fourth at Bordeaux, all without incident, according to a source familiar with the matter.

"An investigation is underway to determine the origin of these alerts which affect all of Europe," added the services of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, in charge of the country's air security and defense, without further details.

Dozens of commercial flights have been subject to bomb threats in Europe since the beginning of the week. Planes have had to be diverted, escorted by fighter jets, evacuated, or searched. Each time, no bombs have been found.

Irish media outlets, British media such as Sky News, and French media such as TF1, have also received bomb threats.

The Irish government on Friday denounced a "probable coordinated campaign aimed at causing disruption".

This series of false alarms, which are difficult to attribute, has the effect of mobilizing security services and spreading fear at a lower cost, experts point out.

Claims sent Thursday to airports in Rome and Sofia came from "fighters of the male state," appearing to refer to a Russian ultranationalist movement, but its leader denied any involvement.

European officials have been denouncing for months the increase in destabilization operations, conducted for the benefit of Russia or Iran, whether it be disinformation campaigns, sabotage, cyberattacks, attacks, etc.

Intelligence services have been anticipating for several weeks a hardening of these campaigns, particularly by Russia, to influence European support for Ukraine.

AFP