KYIV/MOSCOW: Government emergency alert applications in Ukraine and Russia have been targeted in cyberattacks, with hackers sending fake warnings of airstrikes, chemical attacks and nuclear threats, causing alarm among users in both countries.
According to Reuters, the incidents took place overnight, when users received misleading notifications claiming that serious military and nuclear threats were imminent. Authorities in both countries confirmed the breaches and urged the public to disregard unverified alerts.
In Ukraine, one fraudulent notification claimed that Russia had launched an Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead. Other messages warned of a possible nuclear attack.
Ukraine’s Air Force said preliminary findings suggested that an enemy had compromised the country’s air raid alert application. In a statement posted on Telegram, it noted that the fake notifications were sent in Russian, while official government alerts are normally issued in Ukrainian.
The Air Force reassured residents that there was no radioactive threat and called on them to remain calm and follow information shared through verified official channels.
Authorities later issued messages clarifying that the warnings were false. Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation also announced the temporary suspension of the affected application while technical teams addressed the breach. Other emergency warning systems, including conventional air raid sirens, continued to operate.
Some residents of Kyiv appeared relatively unfazed by the incident. Artem Pyandyk, a 37-year-old businessman, said the initial notification had surprised him, but he soon suspected that it was fake.
He said the incident had not caused the widespread public reaction that the attackers may have hoped for. Nevertheless, he described the breach as worrying, particularly because it showed that hackers had managed to access and manipulate an application designed to protect the public.
Russia reported a similar incident involving its emergency information application. State news agency TASS, citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations, reported that hackers had compromised the platform and used it to circulate fabricated warnings about nuclear war and other potential threats.
The pro-Ukraine hacker group Atesh claimed responsibility for the attack on Russia’s emergency ministry application, sharing a screenshot of a fraudulent notification on its Telegram channel on Monday morning.
The fake alert claimed that nuclear warheads had been launched towards all Russian regions. It urged people to stockpile enough food for three weeks and prepare to seek shelter in their basements.
The notification also included insulting remarks about several Russian regions, further highlighting its difference from legitimate government emergency messages.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the cyberattack, but stressed that the affected application was only an additional source of public information and not the country’s primary emergency warning system.
The ministry said technical specialists were working to restore the service and warned citizens against panicking or relying on unverified messages.
It advised residents to seek accurate information exclusively through the ministry’s official website and verified social media accounts.
