Michal Koudelka, the head of the Czech Security Information Service, revealed on November 18 that Russia orchestrated a wave of bomb threats targeting schools in Czechia and Slovakia in recent months.
The threats were sent out via email and coincided with the return of students after their summer break in September. Hundreds of schools were affected, leading to widespread closures.
Despite the chaos, local police confirmed that no explosives or improvised devices were found at any of the targeted locations.
"There is a clearly visible Russian trace" in the threats, Koudelka told Czech parliamentarians during a briefing focused on Russian cyberattacks and their implications for national security. This was reported by EuroNews.
Russia has a long history of engaging in disruptive activities across Europe, often leveraging its cyber capabilities to target civilian infrastructure. Prague has been a frequent target of Russian cyberattacks, particularly since 2023.
At an October 9 conference in Prague, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský stated that Russia is responsible for 80% of all foreign influence operations worldwide.
This is not the first instance of tension between Czechia and Russia.
In 2021, Czech authorities expelled 18 Russian diplomats following a deadly 2014 warehouse explosion that Russian operatives were reportedly behind.
Separately, on November 18, reports surfaced about the severing of telecom cables connecting Nordic countries with Germany and Lithuania at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, further raising suspicions of Russian sabotage.
