Serbia’s capital Belgrade paralysed by hundreds of bomb threats

All false reports about the planted bombs were sent from servers abroad, the media report.

It is a Proton e-mail service, according to the media, and they add that it is very difficult to track down the senders of these e-mails.

Proton Mail is a Swiss online service, through which most threatening messages about bombs have arrived so far. There are more than 50 million users, whose messages are protected by strong encryption, so it is difficult to discover the sender’s IP address. It is possible that, through the VPN network, the message will be sent from one country, and that over a dozen IP addresses will be redirected to other countries, in order to hide the trace of origin.

It should be reminded that after threatening reports of an explosion in Belgrade’s primary schools, a new threat arrived. Bombs were planted on bridges in Belgrade, in shopping malls, a zoo, restaurants, and a train station.

“We placed explosives at the following locations: Branko’s Bridge, Gazela Bridge, New Railway Bridge, Ada Bridge, Pancevo Bridge, National Museum, Delta City, Zmaj Shopping Center, Ada Mall, Stadion Shopping Center, Konjarnik Shopping Center, Belgrade Zoo, Public Aquarium and Tropicarium, McDonald’s Bežanijska kosa (Partisan Aviation, Belgrade), Eurodom Belgrade Airport, Belgrade Central Station, President’s House, City Council, Every power plant, Every water treatment plant, Russian Embassy Belgrade…”, the threatening message reads.

On that occasion, the Deputy Mayor of Belgrade, Goran Vesić, also spoke. “We have just received an anonymous report that bombs have been planted in all production plants of the Belgrade Waterworks,” Deputy Mayor Goran Vesić told “Novosti”.

He added that they act in accordance with the regulations that require adequate behavior and reaction in such situations, and the police are already in the waterworks.

“Citizens should not worry, because we will ensure an orderly supply, regardless of these provocations,” he said. Vesić notes that the Belgrade Waterworks has more than 100 plants and states “that it is obvious that a cyber war is being waged against Serbia”.

Just to reiterate, in 21 primary schools, before the beginning of the afternoon shift, a report of bomb threats arrived. The e-mail with the notification was sent from the same address as this morning, when the same message arrived in 97 primary schools, reports Blic. Due to reports, classes in the afternoon shift in most schools have been canceled, and classes will be held online. After school, a report of a bomb arrived at the Stadion shopping center.

We remind you that this morning an e-mail arrived in 97 Belgrade primary and secondary schools warning that a bomb had been planted.

Резултати прево t should be reminded that after threatening reports of an explosion in Belgrade’s primary schools, a new threat arrived. Bombs were planted on bridges in Belgrade, in shopping malls, a zoo, restaurants, and a train station.

“We placed explosives at the following locations: Branko’s Bridge, Gazela Bridge, New Railway Bridge, Ada Bridge, Pancevo Bridge, National Museum, Delta City, Zmaj Shopping Center, Ada Mall, Stadion Shopping Center, Konjarnik Shopping Center, Belgrade Zoo, Public aquarium and tropicarium, McDonald’s Bežanijska kosa (Partisan Aviation, Belgrade), Evrodom Belgrade Airport, Belgrade Central Station, President’s House, City Council, Every power plant, Every water treatment plant, Russian Embassy Belgrade… “, the threatening message reads.

Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin said bomb threats are a form of “special warfare”

Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin said on Monday that the bomb threats in cities across Serbia are a form of “special warfare” intended to prevent Belgrade from conducting independent policies and force it to take decision under pressure.

“A special war is being waged against Serbia. Threats are being sent from different addresses in several European states to institutions, media houses, companies. The attacks on our country have not been launched nor are they being waged by an individual. These are mass, organized and very expensive hacker attacks from different hybrid warfare centers,” Vulin said in a press release.

He added that the equipment needed to launch the kind of attack launched on Monday costs more than 100.000 EUR and that the damages inflicted run into the millions. He claimed that the equipment is destroyed right after the attack to prevent investigators from determining the location from where it was launched.

“The claims of explosive devices are intended to cause panic and inflict damage on our country’s economy but the fundamental goal of all attacks is to prevent Serbia from conducting independent policies and force it to take decisions out of fear and under pressure,” Vulin said.

He called the public to remain calm and follow orders from the police. “The Internal Affairs Ministry is working with the Higher Public Prosecution and Organized Crime Prosecution to speed up international legal aid processes through contacts established in line with the Budapest Convention. A special war is being waged against Serbia and we have to be ready”, Minister of the Interior, Aleksandar Vulin, on the occasion of frequent false reports about planted bombs, concluded.