Hackers hijack Ukraine and Russia emergency alert apps to send fake nuclear warnings

Ukraine's Air Alert and Russia's Emergencies Ministry apps sent false nuclear strike and radiation alerts; notifications disabled and services restored.

Hackers targeted emergency alert apps in Ukraine and Russia late on November 1 and into November 2, sending false warnings about radiation, chemical threats, and nuclear strikes. Ukraine’s Air Alert app began sending false notifications including warnings of dangerous radiation levels in Kyiv. Others mixed Russian and Ukrainian with spelling errors. Hackers Hijack Emergency Alert Apps Ukraine’s Air Force told residents there was no radiation threat. The app’s operators said unauthorized parties had interfered with the service, prompting them to turn off push notifications and temporarily suspend operations. Officials warned users not to open links in suspicious notifications and directed them toward other official information channels. Service was restored overnight. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported a “massive cyberattack” against its mobile application and attackers distributed false public warnings about nuclear warheads. Officials confirmed other warning channels including SMS, broadcasts, sirens and loudspeakers remain operational. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia for the Ukrainian incident but that claim has not been independently confirmed.

Unconfirmed: No independent report links either attack to a named hacking group. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia but claim unconfirmed.