Over 45,000 people have been evacuated from more than 200 facilities in 29 Russian cities after a wave of anonymous bomb threat calls over the past three days, amid speculation of either foreign interference or a domestic anti-terror drill.

On Wednesday, 15,000 people were evacuated from various facilities across Moscow, after bomb threat calls were made to twelve shopping centres, three railway stations and at least four universities.

Anonymous callers are reported to be making calls over the internet to emergency services, and usually naming several facilities with supposed explosive devices inside.

Since September 11 dozens of schools, universities, malls, railway stations, airports and government offices have been evacuated and inspected by law enforcement in big cities all over Russia – from Kaliningrad in the West to Vladivostok in the Far East.