Cyberattacks in Russia and Ukraine sent false nuclear and chemical alerts
Both countries say emergency‑warning applications were compromised and false notifications — including claims of a hypersonic missile — were sent to users.
Russia and Ukraine have both confirmed they were hit by cyberattacks that targeted emergency alert applications, resulting in false notifications sent to citizens about a major attack.
The Ukrainian Air Force said a public air‑raid warning app was breached. For a short period the app displayed alerts claiming nuclear and chemical strikes in Kyiv and other regions, and reported risks of street fighting.
In one of the bogus messages the alert stated that a Russian hypersonic missile "Oreshnik" had been launched.
Ukrainian authorities’ response
The Ukrainian Air Force posted on Telegram: "It appears that the air‑raid warning app was subjected to hostile influence. There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel."
Russian officials also acknowledged that cyber incidents affected their emergency‑warning systems, and both countries reported that citizens received false emergency notices. Details about the scope and origin of the attacks were not released publicly.
Authorities in Ukraine urged people to rely on official channels for information and to ignore unverified alerts while the situation is being monitored.
Photo: Kiev independent)
