MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday authorities were hunting for those behind what it called a campaign of "telephone terrorism" that has prompted tens of thousands of people to be evacuated from buildings across the country in the last few days.
Authorities evacuated people from dozens of buildings in Moscow on Wednesday after a flurry of anonymous phone calls falsely asserting the locations had been mined. The calls, which have affected more than 20 towns and cities, are reported to have begun on Monday.
"This is telephone terrorism," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.
"The president (Vladimir Putin) was informed as soon as this wave of mischievous calls started. We are taking the necessary measures to identify those responsible."