On the 9th of November, a bomb threat was spread on the messaging app Telegram, that is popular among Russian-speaking Estonians; police believe it is part of an information space operation to create chaos and sow confusion, writes ERR News.
Similar threats have been spread before, and the investigation has revealed their connection to Russian information operations designed to instill fear in society. Egert Belitšev, director of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PBA), noted that this has been happening for years, and the aim of such threats is to create chaos and a sense of insecurity. However, it can be said that the level of threat has not increased.
Belitšev added that Telegram is known as an app that spreads disinformation, and parents should be aware of where their children spend their time. “Criminals use it, as do saboteurs commissioned by the Russian Federation to share information.
It’s definitely a space I have yet to see anything good come from,”
said the director of the PPA.
The threat is not related to the incident at the Pärnu branch of Tallinn Polytechnic, where a student was observed handing over a weapon-like object. A police spokesman told ERR that the police respond to such information with appropriate force, and that is what happened in this case as well. Both young men have been identified and are being questioned. He added that an air pistol was found in a building near the school, and it is currently being investigated whether it was the weapon-like object that the police were informed about.
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