Russia and Ukraine accused each other of hacking their emergency alert apps as a six-day local ceasefire in the Kherson region expired on Sunday.
Ukraine’s air force said its Air Alert app had been compromised, sending false warnings of nuclear and chemical threats to users in Kyiv and other areas. “The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence,” it stated on Telegram. “There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!” Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, SPRAVDI, blamed Russia for the hack .
Hours later, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported a “massive cyberattack” on its own warning app, which it said allowed attackers to post false information. The ministry did not name a perpetrator .
The cyberattacks followed the end of a truce in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. The ceasefire, in effect from 27 October to 1 November, enabled the evacuation of hundreds of civilians before Russia refused an extension .
Ukraine’s air force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat confirmed the Air Alert app had been hacked, while Kherson’s governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain vigilant as fighting resumed .
The false alerts included claims of a Russian hypersonic missile launch and potential street combat, according to Ukrainian officials .
