Ukraine and Russia report simultaneous cyberattacks on national alert apps
False warnings of nuclear strikes and radiation hazards appeared on mobile devices in both countries just hours after a temporary ceasefire in Kherson ended.
By Giulia Donovan ·
Mobile devices across Ukraine and Russia displayed false emergency alerts late Sunday and early Monday, warning of nuclear attacks and radiation hazards. The messages appeared on the official emergency notification applications used by millions of citizens to track missile threats. Authorities in both nations confirmed their systems had been targeted by cyberattacks, forcing them to temporarily suspend services. The incidents occurred immediately after a six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the southern region of Kherson expired.
The disruption began around 10:45 p.m. Kyiv time, or 3:45 p.m. ET, on Sunday. Users reported receiving notifications that advised them to stay indoors due to radiation and chemical threats. One message, written in Russian, declared that all of Ukraine was under nuclear alert and stated that the Oreshnik hypersonic missile was in action. The Air Force of Ukraine subsequently announced that the Air Alert application had likely been compromised by the enemy. Officials clarified that no actual radiation threat existed and urged the public to remain calm.
The developers of the Ukrainian app stated that unauthorized third parties had interfered with its operation. They described the event as a cyberattack and noted that they were gradually restoring the service. The team said it was implementing additional measures to protect the platform from future intrusions. Ukrainian media outlets reported that users across the country received the erroneous alerts. In the western Lviv region, local authorities confirmed that public warning sirens and loudspeaker systems also broadcast a radiation hazard signal.
Despite the gravity of the fake warnings, many residents in Ukraine reacted with amusement rather than panic. Social media users shared memes mocking the fact that the warning was issued in Russian. One user on X wrote that no one was particularly surprised by the intrusion. They added that the attackers might as well have included a dinosaur attack in the alert. By Monday, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that the national alert system was operating normally. A producer for NBC News based in Kyiv confirmed that the Air Alert app was functioning without issue.
Russia’s emergencies ministry reported a similar breach early Monday. The agency stated that its mobile application suffered a massive cyberattack that led to the dissemination of fake information to the public. Screenshots shared by Russian media indicated that the alert warned of nuclear warheads launched at Russia. The wording of the message was casual and did not appear to follow standard official protocols. The ministry restored the system and noted that the app serves as an additional supplementary information service. It did not identify who was behind the attack, referring only to malicious actors.
It remained unclear if the two incidents were directly linked. The timing of the hacks coincided with the end of a rare humanitarian truce in Kherson. The agreement had held without violations for six days, allowing for the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the town of Oleshky. This truce represented the most substantial de-escalation between the two sides since the war began in early 2022.
Melania Trump, who helped broker the agreement, posted on X on Sunday to commend Russia and Ukraine for their leadership. She expressed hope that the Oleshky ceasefire would serve as a foundation for lasting peace. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights, said he was exploring further humanitarian initiatives with his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the current mechanism of cooperation between the two nations.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces accused Russia of using the truce to rotate its units and fortify positions in the Kherson area. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded on Monday by noting that Kyiv also had the opportunity to regroup. He described such activities as a completely common practice in similar situations. As the ceasefire ended, both sides returned to active military operations while their digital alert systems recovered from the cyber intrusions.
