Emergency warning mobile applications in both Ukraine and Russia were hacked overnight Sunday into Monday, broadcasting false alerts regarding imminent nuclear strikes, chemical weapons, and hypersonic missile threats to citizens.
False Alerts Disrupt Kyiv and Moscow Apps
Ukraine’s public air raid app began transmitting false warnings just before 11:00 p.m. local time. The compromised alerts warned residents in Kyiv and other regions of radiation hazards, chemical attacks, and potential street combat. One specific notification claimed that Russia had launched a hypersonic Oreshnik missile.
Ukraine and Russia say their emergency alert apps have been hacked, sending false warnings to citizens about impending air raids, chemical and nuclear attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force quickly addressed the breach on Telegram, stating the app appeared to have been subjected to enemy influence. Officials confirmed that the system suffered external interference, assuring the public that no radiation threat existed and issuing all-clear messages shortly afterward. The Ministry for Digital Transformation temporarily suspended the app, though alternate public warning channels and physical air raid sirens remained fully operational.
Separately, Russian state news agency TASS reported that the mobile app of Russia’s emergencies ministry, Emercom, had experienced a “massive cyber-attack” that resulted in the spread of false information. The breach pushed false emergency alerts to 33 Russian regions. Citizens were urged by the ministry to stay calm and rely solely on verified communication channels, specifically the official website of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and the department’s verified social media profiles.
Attribution Claims and On-the-Ground Reactions
It is not clear whether the hacking of the apps is linked. Russian authorities asserted that unauthorized users had also breached the emergency ministry’s application to disseminate bogus warnings. One of their posts mentioned the hacking group Hitcore. According to Mash, a Russian Telegram channel connected to security agencies, representatives of Hitcore were contacted and acknowledged responsibility for the offensive. The report could not be verified.
Despite the severe nature of the fabricated nuclear warnings, residents largely dismissed the psychological impact. Artem Pyndyk, a 37-year-old businessman in Kyiv, noted that the stunt failed to generate widespread panic among his family and acquaintances. In Russia, app users commented on social media that it was hard to believe the alerts were real.
| Country | Targeted Mobile App | Reported False Warning Content | Official Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | Public air raid app | Radiation, chemical attack, and Oreshnik hypersonic missile threat | Suspended temporarily; air force confirmed hack and issued all-clear |
| Russia | Emergencies ministry (Emercom) app | False information sent to 33 Russian regions | Asked public to trust only official sources; experts deployed to restore operations |
Broader Conflict Dynamics and Ceasefire Expiry
The online breaches coincided with the conclusion of a six-day regional truce in southern Ukraine negotiated by US first lady Melania Trump—marking the most extended halt in combat hostilities since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022. During the truce, hundreds of people were evacuated from the nearby Kremlin-controlled town of Oleshky.
Just hours after the ceasefire lapsed, combat operations resumed. The military administration in Kherson reported that a Russian drone hit a hospital at 7.40am. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a Russian aerial bomb attack which he said targeted a school used for humanitarian purposes in the Zaporizhzhia region, leaving at least 26 people dead.
At the same time, Kyiv faces an acute shortage of air defense systems, with American-built Patriot interceptors serving as its sole reliable defense against incoming Russian ballistic missiles. Although the United States finalized a $2.1bn agreement on Friday to provide Ukraine with 500 Patriot interceptors, insiders familiar with the arrangement warned that delivery of the missiles might take multiple years.
