Russian 'Male State' founder denies links to fake bomb threats at European airports

Founder and group deny involvement

Vladislav Pozdniakov, who founded the Male State movement, denied on Friday, 6 November, any link to the false bomb threats hitting European airports. He wrote on Telegram that the movement has not existed since Russian authorities banned it in 2021. He argued that people staging provocations in EU countries under its name were acting in their own interest, using a flag that did not belong to them. He also said he was simply answering European journalists and did not particularly care about Europe's security or economy. A Telegram account linked to the group told the BBC's Russian service that it did not know which Male State was meant and that the group had not existed for many years.

Flights and airports hit by threats

Fake bomb threats have disrupted European air traffic for several days, causing delays and prompting fighter jets to escort civilian aircraft. ABC reports that more than thirty commercial flights were affected in the same period. Airports in Birmingham, Rome and Sofia received messages signed by alleged "combatants of the Male State", according to AFP and Le Soir. The message sent to Sofia claimed that explosive devices had been placed on listed flights and at the airport, and it warned that an explosion would follow within 60 minutes. The operator of Rome's airport also had access to the text of the emails sent there. No group has claimed responsibility for all of the flights, and European authorities are still trying to establish who is behind the messages.

Threat sent to news outlets

Il Giornale, citing the Financial Times, reported an email sent to news outlets that described the week's disruption as only a small part of what Europe faces. The email threatened planes, cruise ships, metro stations and trains in the near future. Its sender did not sign it but described himself as one of the leaders of the group responsible. An executive at Ireland's public broadcaster RTE said the message had been sent to at least 18 media outlets, and threats also reached Irish outlets on Friday. The authenticity of the claim has not been verified.

Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, also voiced concern after another day of diversions, searches and frightened passengers.

“The new hacker attacks across Europe clearly must be a cause for concern.”

She said investigators are working and cannot yet say whether the incidents, including the fake alerts on planes, are connected.

Background of the movement

Male State was founded in 2016 by Pozdniakov, a blogger and fitness trainer, initially as a community on the Russian social network VK. It later took on a semi-political character, with an ideology blending misogyny and nationalism. Russia declared the movement extremist and banned it in 2021, when it was known mainly for online harassment campaigns and had never gained wide support. Media reports say it survived online and became a community backing Russia's military offensive in Ukraine. ABC reports that Pozdniakov has lived in exile in Europe since the ban and that the group now operates under the name "Male Legion".