Ukraine and Russia have reported cyberattacks on their emergency alert applications, which sent false warnings to citizens about possible air raids, chemical attacks and nuclear threats.
The incidents occurred overnight as a six-day local ceasefire in a small area of southern Ukraine came to an end. The truce, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, was the longest pause in fighting of its kind since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine’s public air raid application began issuing false alerts shortly before 11pm on Sunday, warning residents in Kyiv and other areas about radiation and chemical attacks, as well as possible street fighting.
One of the fabricated warnings claimed that Russia had launched an Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and that a nationwide nuclear alert had been declared.
Ukraine’s air force said the alert system appeared to have been compromised by Russia, noting that the warnings were issued in Russian rather than Ukrainian, the language required for official communications in the country.
“The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence,” the air force said in a statement, adding that there was no radiation threat and urging citizens to remain calm and follow official updates.
Authorities issued all-clear messages shortly after the alerts appeared. Ukraine’s Ministry for Digital Transformation temporarily suspended the application, while other public warning channels and air raid sirens continued operating.
Several residents in Kyiv said the incident caused little panic.
Artem Pyndyk, a 37-year-old businessman, said he was initially surprised by the notifications but quickly realised they were false. He added that his family members and friends had also remained calm.
Pyndyk said the incident had not triggered the public reaction the attackers may have expected, although he acknowledged that the hackers had managed to gain access to the application.
Oksana Vostrykova, a 48-year-old pizzeria employee, also said she had suspected the warning was false. She added that her main concern was the safety of children nearby rather than her own.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said its mobile application had also been targeted in a cyberattack early Monday, resulting in the circulation of false information.
The pro-Ukrainian hacking group Atesh shared a screenshot of the alert on its Telegram channel, claiming responsibility for the breach.
However, the Russian ministry described the application as a supplementary information channel rather than one of its primary public warning systems.
A fabricated message circulated by the hackers claimed that nuclear warheads had been launched toward Russian regions. It urged residents to stock up on three weeks of food supplies and seek shelter in their cellars.
The message did not resemble an official government warning and included informal language, profanity and derogatory references to Russian regions.
The ministry said its technical experts were working to restore the application and urged the public to remain calm and rely only on official communication channels, including its website and verified social media accounts.
