Cherkasy-based news website 18000 received two emails threatening to bomb their office, as well as several private and state institutions, early on 30 January, reports the Institute of Mass Information representative in Cherkasy oblast, Yelena Shchepak.
The news outlet says the they received the first letter at 9:46 am. The sender claimed to be a Kraken Regiment veteran, “a former miner and a disabled person.” The letter alleges that 500 explosive devices have been planted at various spots.
“I will detonate a bomb at your address today after lunch,” the sender wrote, adding that explosive devices had been planted in embassies, the Kyiv City Administration, the Ministry of Defense, and other buildings.
The next email arrived at 10:21 am. This time, the sender introduced themselves as a “disabled bomber.” This letter claimed that an explosive device had been planted at the news outlet’s office as well, adding that it had been placed “in a special container” so that police dogs would be unable to detect it. This time, the bomb was supposedly planted at the office of the Ternopil-based media outlet 20 Khvylyn.
However, 20 Khvylyn editor Natalia Burlaku told IMI that they had received no letters threatening to detonate any bombs and that the listed address was not theirs.
National Police departments in 22 oblasts received over 2,000 bomb reports on 30 January. Namely, Detector Media received several emails to that effect.