The North Macedonian government believes that a continuing wave of false bomb threats against public targets in the country comes from Russia and Iran. Skopje authorities also say that payments related to the attacks have been made with cryptocurrencies to hide traces.
Over 700 facilities hit with bomb threats in North Macedonia, attackers used cryptography
The Balkan nation of North Macedonia has been receiving bomb threats, allegedly from Russia and Iran, according to a statement from a senior government official. On Monday, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski said authorities are working hard to keep the country’s security systems safe.
“This is an intense hybrid attack that has targeted more than 720 facilities since October 19,” Spasovski revealed. Quoted by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, he noted that some of these cases have already been resolved. “Now we have an isolated group and the case is being worked on,” added Spasovski, detailing:
In recent days, emails have been sent from addresses in Iran and Russia, and payments to VPN (virtual private network) services made using cryptocurrency, making it difficult to trace.
North Macedonia, Serbia and neighboring Montenegro have seen numerous bomb threats since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year. So far, all of them have turned out to be false alarms.
In the past two months, shopping malls and other public buildings have been the main target of such threats, with work and education often paralyzed for days, the report noted.
Serbian authorities claimed that foreign intelligence services from Ukraine and an unnamed member state of the European Union were behind the threats. Russia and Iran have yet to comment on the allegations.
Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war have used cryptocurrencies to finance their military efforts. According to a report published by blockchain forensics firm Elliptic on the first anniversary of the conflict, Ukrainian supporters have sent at least $212 million in crypto donations, while pro-Russian groups have raised close to $5 million in digital assets.
Do you think these bomb threats are related to the war in Ukraine? Share your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below.
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