RTE in Ireland, Sky News in Britain, and Nova TV in Bulgaria evacuated facilities Friday after near-identical bomb-threat emails warned, “the clock is ticking,” according to The Gateway Pundit (TGP). No explosives were ultimately found, TGP reported.
What the emails said
TGP says the messages claimed an explosive device had been planted and would detonate within 45 minutes. The outlet quoted: “We want the whole world to know about us … It will detonate in 45 minutes. The clock is ticking.” Reuters also posted on X that bomb threats using that phrase disrupted TV channels across Europe.
How broadcasters responded
Per TGP, RTE suspended normal programming during a police search of its Dublin headquarters, then allowed staff to return once the building was cleared. Nova’s newsroom in Sofia was evacuated and searched while broadcasts continued, the outlet reported. Sky News was among the named targets.
Context: days of airline hoax alerts
TGP places the TV threats after a wave of apparent hoax bomb warnings to European passenger flights in recent days. FRANCE 24 English posted on X that Italian, French, and Bulgarian fighter jets were scrambled as about 20 commercial flights faced a third day of bomb alerts, with no claim of responsibility.
Who sent the messages?
According to TGP, Friday’s emails were signed by someone calling himself “Mikhail Andropov,” who claimed to lead the group behind the earlier aviation threats and warned, “this is only the beginning.” TGP also states there is no evidence linking the threats to Russia, and authorities have not identified who is behind them.
Officials: probe continues
TGP quotes Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin saying authorities are still determining whether the incidents were the work of individuals or part of a coordinated campaign. He said such actions show how easily society can be disrupted by unconventional activity. Investigations are ongoing.
