WARSAW

Dozens of schools and kindergartens in Warsaw were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving bomb threats, prompting large-scale emergency responses across several districts of the capital, police said.

“We have received several dozen reports from educational institutions regarding bomb threats,” Warsaw police spokesperson Marta Haberska told public broadcaster TVP World. “At this stage, no actual threat has been confirmed, but all procedures are being followed and checks are ongoing.”

Students, including preschool children, were moved to designated safe areas while officers and bomb disposal units searched buildings in districts including Mokotow, Ursynow and Wilanow, according to local reports.

Local outlet HaloUrsynow reported that evacuations affected both schools and kindergartens, disrupting classes across the area. In at least one case, an English exam was interrupted and students were forced to leave the building mid-test.

Parents gathered outside some schools as emergency services secured the sites, while authorities urged calm and asked the public not to speculate about the nature of the threats.

Similar incidents were also reported outside the capital, including in the western city of Poznan, where several schools also received threatening messages.

“One school decided to evacuate the building,” said Lukasz Paterski, spokesperson for Poznan police, quoted by local outlet Epoznan. “We will of course check all premises, but in cases like these the threats are usually of low credibility.”

The incidents appear to be part of a broader wave of threats targeting educational institutions across Poland in recent weeks.

Authorities have warned that such threats are often sent via email and may be linked to hoaxes or coordinated cyber activity designed to cause disruption rather than carry out attacks.

“Every report must be verified according to procedure,” Haberska said. “This is necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff.”

Under Polish law, making a false bomb threat is a serious criminal offense punishable by up to eight years in prison.

Police have not said whether Wednesday’s threats are linked or whether any suspects have been identified.

The evacuations come amid heightened security awareness in Poland following recent incidents involving suspected sabotage, espionage, and attempted attacks, as well as ongoing regional tensions linked to the war in Ukraine.