KYIV: Ukraine and Russia have reported cyberattacks on their air alert applications after users received fake warnings of incoming attacks, including nuclear strikes, on Sunday night.
Ukraine’s widely used air raid alert app issued red-level warnings across the country, while some residents, including those in Kyiv, also received false notifications about radiation threats, chemical attacks and street fighting.
Several hours later, Russian authorities reported that a similar application had been hacked, triggering fake alerts, some containing offensive language.
It remains unclear who was responsible for the cyberattacks or whether the incidents in the two countries were connected.
Following the breach, Ukraine’s Air Force urged residents to rely on other official communication channels for updates. In a statement on Telegram, it said the Air Alarm application had likely been subjected to hostile interference and confirmed there was no radiation threat.
The Ukrainian government temporarily disabled the application for maintenance, saying it appeared to have been compromised.
Some of the fake notifications were written in Russian, which alerted users that the messages were not genuine, as official warnings are normally issued in Ukrainian.
A Kyiv resident, identified as Olena, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the alerts had caused alarm. She said her initial reaction was fear because she was not prepared for a possible nuclear attack.
She added that her husband later received further notifications warning of street fighting in Kyiv, including another message written in Russian, leading them to realise that the application had been hacked.
The incident comes as Ukrainians continue to receive frequent air raid alerts amid Russia’s ongoing missile and drone attacks.