Russia’s emergency warning application was hit by a “massive cyberattack” early on Monday, just hours after authorities in Kyiv reported that Ukraine’s air raid alert application had been hacked.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said in a Telegram post on Monday morning that the cyberattack had caused “false information” to spread through the application, which alerts users to incoming drone attacks. The ministry did not identify those responsible for the attack, reports Al Jazeera.
The incident in Russia followed a disruption on Sunday evening local time, when the Ukrainian Air Force reported that users had received fake notifications warning of nuclear and chemical threats in and around Kyiv, as well as possible street fighting.
An erroneous message circulated through the application also claimed that Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile had been deployed.
In a statement posted on Telegram on Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force said, “The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence.” It reassured citizens that there was no radiation threat and urged them to remain calm and follow updates through official channels.
Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, SPRAVDI, explicitly blamed Russia for the hacking in a post on X.
The air raid alert application is used across Ukraine to provide real-time warnings of incoming Russian aerial strikes. However, according to Kyiv authorities, a separate application dedicated specifically to the Ukrainian capital continued to function normally.
The statements from Moscow and Kyiv came after the conclusion of a truce in part of the Russian-occupied Kherson region.
The localised ceasefire, which began on Tuesday and ended on Sunday, marked the longest pause in hostilities since the war began.
