Hacked Alert Apps in Russia and Ukraine Send Fake Nuclear Warnings
Air raid alert apps in Russia and Ukraine were hacked overnight, pushing false nuclear and chemical warnings to users. It is unclear whether the two attacks are linked.
Emergency alert apps in both Russia and Ukraine were hit by cyberattacks overnight from Sunday to Monday, sending users false warnings about nuclear and chemical threats. The incidents did not trigger widespread panic and instead became fodder for internet memes. It is not known whether the attacks are connected.
Ukraine: fake alerts in the Air Raid Alert app
Ukraine's official air raid warning app had recently been updated with a real-time drone tracking feature. Late on Sunday, it was compromised, and users received bogus messages about nuclear and chemical alerts, as well as street fighting in Kyiv and other regions. The messages also cited the alleged use of Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
The Ukrainian air force quickly denied the reports on Telegram, saying there was no radiation threat and urging calm. Stepan Tanasiychuk, who leads the Air Raid Alert project, said the app was being gradually restored to full operation. According to CNN, the team has added extra security measures to prevent similar incidents and apologized for the unnecessary alarm.
Russia: alert sent to 33 regions
Russian state news agency TASS reported that the mobile app of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Emercom) suffered a large-scale cyberattack. A false alert went out to 33 regions, claiming that nuclear warheads had been launched at all Russian territories. The message also included a warning laced with profanity.
The ministry said the app is working again and that full functionality should be restored by the end of the day. Specialists analyzed the incident and identified the vulnerability the attackers used. The ministry played down the event, noting that official warnings are also distributed through traditional channels such as sirens, text messages and the media.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the electronic resources of government agencies are under constant pressure from cyberattacks, and that the threat grows as technology and artificial intelligence evolve.
The episode shows how exposed public warning systems can be: even when the fallout is limited, a hacked alert channel can erode trust in tools meant to protect people during a crisis.
Apps worth a look
SUMO: the number puzzleTap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.
Dialo: learn languages by speakingTalk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.
ediviewer: read EDI files like documentsOpen EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.
More from this day
See all →
Apple HomeView Ultra: 9-Inch Swiveling Screen Robot Detailed
Google Says Videostrong Turned 1.3 Million Android Boxes Into a Botnet
Anthropic Message Threads Cut Claude Agent Wait Times by 35%
