Ukraine and Russia said on Monday, November 2, that hackers had broken into their emergency alert apps overnight and sent civilians false warnings of air raids, radiation, chemical threats and nuclear attacks, while the attackers’ identities remained unknown.
Ukraine’s Air Alert app began sending messages late Sunday, including warnings of danger in Kyiv and other areas. Some warnings said there was a nuclear threat and claimed Russia had launched an Oreshnik missile. Others mentioned chemical dangers and fighting in the streets.
Ukraine’s Air Force said the warnings were false, said there was no radiation threat and urged people to stay calm and follow official updates. The app’s developers turned off push notifications and temporarily suspended the service. Other ways to receive public warnings, including sirens, remained available.
Hours later, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said its own app had also been hit by a cyberattack that spread false information. The ministry did not publicly identify those responsible. Ukrainian officials described their app as facing hostile interference.
But available reports have not confirmed who carried out either attack or whether the incidents were connected. The breaches happened as a six-day local ceasefire in southern Ukraine expired. This highlighted the risks of false alerts in a war where civilians rely on emergency warnings.