Painter Mikael Bard, 63, left his coffee thermos outside a door in Malmö's Slottsstaden district, sparking a major police operation involving the bomb squad. A suspicious object was reported around 9 a.m. on Monday morning, leading to area cordons with drones and a bomb robot. It turned out to be an innocent thermos of coffee.
On the morning of Monday, December 15, 2025, painter Mikael Bard, 63, arrived at a job in Malmö's Slottsstaden district around 7 a.m. Carrying a food bag, thermos, newspaper, and other items, he left his dark blue coffee thermos outside the door upon entering the client's apartment. After stopping to buy more paint on the way back, he noticed a police car with lights flashing, and upon arrival, he saw police vehicles and barriers everywhere.
At 9 a.m., Bard took a break and realized his thermos was missing. He went down to fetch it, but someone had already reported a suspicious object to the police. Soon, a drone buzzed outside the window, and bomb technicians in vests and helmets arrived with a bomb wagon. A larger area was cordoned off, and residents were evacuated.
Bard heard a commotion and looked out, but a bomb technician waved him back inside. Moments later, police asked through the balcony door if he recognized the thermos. Bard confirmed it was his and opened it, pouring out some coffee. "Is it good coffee?" the technician asked. "Yes, it's damn good," Bard replied. The operation was quickly stood down, and the police packed up.
Afterward, Bard apologized for the trouble, but the police dismissed it. He has received joking texts from friends, such as "Do you have bombs in your coffee?" and remarks about his forgetfulness. Bard laughs at the incident and reflects: "I thought: 'damn, now the coffee's cold.'" The national bomb squad was called out, but there was no danger.
