Expert sees false flight bomb threats as likely hybrid operation

False bomb threats targeting European flights on Wednesday and Thursday are likely part of a hybrid influence operation, Panu Moilanen, an expert at the University of Jyväskylä, told Yle. He said a state actor was probably behind the threats, but there was no certainty about who was responsible.

Russia is one possible suspect, Moilanen said, given the current security situation in Europe. He added that the high number of threats suggested they were not random incidents.

Moilanen, a senior lecturer in security and strategic analysis at the university’s Faculty of Information Technology, described false bomb threats as a cheap and simple way to spread fear and uncertainty. Such an operation requires few resources, he said, and allows those behind it to observe how European governments, media and the public respond.

Earlier this week, cyberattacks hit grocery stores in several European countries, causing problems including frozen food to thaw. Moilanen said a link between the attacks and the flight threats could not be ruled out, but added that connections between separate hybrid operations can take a long time to emerge, if they are ever established.

If Russia is behind the threats, Moilanen said, the motive could be to weaken European support for Ukraine by disrupting daily life and encouraging people to urge their governments to stay out of the war. He cautioned that this reasoning may be flawed, and said Russia could redirect its capabilities elsewhere if the situation in Ukraine calms.

An investigation by the European Broadcasting Union’s investigative journalism network found that more than 50 physical hybrid attacks in Europe over the past six months had trails leading to Russia. Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported on the findings.