False warnings of nuclear and chemical threats flashed across mobile phones in Ukraine after a cyberattack on its public air raid alert application, while Russia reported a separate breach of its emergency notification app, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of public warning systems during the war.
Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that the Air Alert application had been compromised late on Sunday. Users in Kyiv and other regions received fabricated warnings about radiation, chemical hazards, and street fighting. One message falsely suggested that Russia had deployed its Oreshnik missile.
Hours later, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported a major cyberattack on its own mobile application, which it said had been used to circulate false public safety information.
When public warnings become unreliable
The attacks exposed a sensitive vulnerability in wartime emergency communications: systems designed to give civilians advance warning of danger can themselves become channels for false information.
In Ukraine, air raid notifications are an essential part of everyday security, giving residents time to seek shelter from Russian missile and drone attacks.
Fabricated warnings can generate unnecessary alarm. Repeated false alerts also risk weakening public confidence in systems on which civilians depend when genuine threats arise.
False radiation alerts and official reassurances
Ukraine’s Air Force warned that the Air Alert app appeared to have been subjected to hostile interference and urged residents to rely on official updates.
“There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!” the Air Force said in a Telegram statement.
Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation also cautioned that threat information displayed by the compromised application did not reflect actual conditions.
Regional authorities issued further reassurances. Officials in Vinnytsia warned residents against opening links carried in suspicious notifications, amid concerns that the incident could also involve phishing attempts.
The Ministry for Digital Transformation subsequently said the affected application was not operating, while alternative public warning systems remained functional.
Kyiv city authorities said a separate application dedicated to alerts in the capital was operating normally.
Russia reports attack on emergency notification app
In a separate development early on Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said its mobile application had been targeted in what it described as a massive cyberattack.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, the breach enabled attackers to distribute fabricated information to users.
The ministry said work was underway to restore the application but did not provide technical details about the intrusion or identify those responsible.
The Russian application is used to communicate public safety warnings, including information about incoming drone attacks and other emergencies.
Cyber incidents follow a rare humanitarian ceasefire
The disruptions came shortly after a localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ended in Oleshky, a Russian-controlled town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.
The temporary truce was arranged to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of civilians from the conflict-affected town.
US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped broker the arrangement, welcomed cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv during the humanitarian operation.
The ceasefire was notable because both countries agreed to suspend military activity in a designated area despite the wider conflict continuing elsewhere.
- Cybersecurity
- Russia
- Russia-Ukraine war
