Over the weekend, emergency alert mobile applications in Ukraine and Russia were hit by cyberattacks that sent false warnings, including a fabricated claim of dangerously high nuclear radiation levels in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s alert app temporarily disabled
The Ukrainian air-raid alert channel posted on Telegram late Sunday that “unauthorized parties” had interfered with the Ukraine emergency alert app, forcing a brief suspension of the service. The notice emphasized that the intrusion was limited to the civilian notification system and did not touch military networks.
Authorities warned users not to click any links contained in suspicious notifications, citing the risk of malware or further misinformation. They reminded citizens that genuine alerts always appear with official branding and that any unexpected attachment should be ignored.
The app, which citizens rely on to receive missile-strike warnings and locate shelters, was restored overnight, according to officials quoted by the news agency.
Fake alerts claimed high nuclear radiation, a chemical threat and public disturbances in Kyiv. The messages were written in English, contained spelling and grammatical errors, and mixed Russian and Ukrainian text, making them easy to spot for attentive readers.
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One notification referenced the hacking group Hitcore. Russian Telegram channel Mash said it contacted the group, which claimed responsibility, though the claim could not be independently verified.
Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s air force command, said the incident did not affect the country’s security or defence operations because the app operates separately from military command systems. He added that the air force continued to communicate real-time threat information through independent channels, including popular social-media platforms.
Russian emergency app also compromised
Russian officials announced on Monday that hackers accessed the Emergency Ministry’s mobile application and sent fake emergency alerts to users. The announcement came after several users reported receiving messages that warned of nonexistent hazards.
The ministry did not name the perpetrators but emphasized that the broader public warning system remained operational, noting that the mobile app is only a supplementary service. It stressed that core alert mechanisms, such as sirens and broadcast channels, were untouched.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that Russian government agencies face constant cyber threats, including attacks that leverage artificial intelligence, and called for steps to improve cybersecurity of digital resources.