St. Petersburg Courts and Moscow Universities Evacuate Following Bomb Threats

Sep. 25, 2026 Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow. Yaroslav Chingaev / Moskva News Agency Several courthouses in St. Petersburg were forced to evacuate after receiving bomb threats on Friday, a court spokesperson told the RBC news outlet, coming as universities in Moscow also ordered evacuations for a second day in a row over similar threats. The spokesperson confirmed that the Kirovsky, Kalininsky, Oktyabrsky and Smolninsky District Courts in St. Petersburg had all been evacuated. Staff and students at the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics were also evacuated due to a bomb threat, the university’s press service told RBC. “Law enforcement authorities are conducting an investigation,” the press service was quoted as saying. The university later reopened, while some classes were moved online. Similar evacuations were reported at more than a dozen universities throughout Moscow on Thursday, including Moscow State University of Service and Transportation, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow Polytechnic University and Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. It was not immediately clear who made the bomb threats, but the number of attacks and sabotage operations in Russia blamed on Ukraine has grown in recent years. Read more about: Moscow , St. Petersburg , University Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Feature Defying the Odds, Thousands of Russians Protest Putin’s Rule on Election’s Final Day At 12 p.m. local time, thousands across Russia went to voting stations to show their opposition to the election, which is believed to be rigged. 5 Min read Old Moscow and St. Petersburg Through an American Photographer's Lens Colorized photos show a long-gone side of Soviet Moscow and St. Petersburg. Moscow, St. Petersburg Named Europe’s Most Dangerous Cities The quality-of-life rankings looked at 39 categories, including "political and social environment" and "recreation.” Russian World Cup Host City Outranks LA, Toronto in Quality of Life Index A 2019 quality of life ranking published last week placed Nizhny Novgorod in 109th position overall.