The founder of the Russian movement “Male State,” Vladislav Pozdniakov, denies involvement in the false bomb alerts that disrupted European air traffic

Vladislav Pozdniakov, founder of the Russian “Male State” movement, denied on Friday any involvement in the recent wave of false bomb alerts that disrupted air traffic in Europe. Messages signed by the purported “Male State Fighters” group targeted, among others, airports in Birmingham, Rome and Sofia, as well as Helsinki–Rome and Dublin–Rome flights.

In a message posted on Telegram, Pozdniakov claimed that the movement “simply no longer exists since 2021,” when it was declared extremist and banned in Russia. He said that people using the name were acting under a “false flag.”

The alerts caused delays and, in some cases, prompted fighter jets to take off to escort civilian aircraft. The incident comes amid an intensification of hybrid attacks sometimes attributed to Russia or Iran, although there is currently no evidence that “Male State” is behind the threats.

Founded in 2016, the movement became known for misogyny, nationalism and online harassment before being banned in Russia in 2021. A similar incident was recorded in Montenegro in April 2022, when bomb threats were signed “Male State,” without any explosives being found.