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Ukraine and Russia both reported hacks of their emergency alert apps that sent false warnings to users late Sunday and early Monday, hours after the longest truce of the war ended in the Kherson region.
Ukraine's Air Alert app briefly showed fake nuclear and chemical threats in Kyiv and other regions, warnings of street fighting and a claim that Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile had been deployed.
Hours later, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said its app had been hit by a "massive cyberattack."
"The Air Alarm application has probably been subjected to hostile interference," Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram. "There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel."
Asked by Agence France-Presse (AFP) whether the app had been hacked, air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said: "Yes, it has been."
Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications, SPRAVDI, blamed Russia, saying users received "strange messages," including a Russian-language message referring to the Oreshnik missile.
The app’s operators said "unauthorized persons have interfered with the application," and that push notifications were disabled and the app suspended. "The application does not store personal data, so there is no threat to users," they said.
Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation said air raid sirens and other warning systems were working.
A separate app for Kyiv operated normally, city authorities said.
"Attention! The mobile application of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia has been subjected to a massive cyberattack, enabling attackers to send false information to the public," the ministry said on Telegram.
The ministry said Russia’s broader warning system, including sirens, SMS and broadcasts, was unaffected and the situation was "under control." Moscow did not say who it believed was responsible.
"The Russian Federation's public alert system is functioning normally. The hack of the mobile app has not and cannot affect the operation of the public alert system. Citizens are alerted through primary channels: regional and municipal alert systems (sirens, loudspeakers), communication networks (SMS messaging), and television and radio broadcasts. The mobile app is merely an additional, supporting information service," the ministry wrote in another statement on Telegram.
"Russian Emergencies Ministry specialists are taking all necessary measures to restore the mobile app's normal operation. The situation is under control. We ask the public to remain calm and trust only official sources of information—the Russian Emergencies Ministry website and the agency's official social media accounts," the ministry added.
The ceasefire, brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump, ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 and enabled a humanitarian mission to Russian-occupied Oleshky. It ended after Russia refused an extension, according to Kyiv.
"The ceasefire, which was in effect from October 27 to November 1, has ended," Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said, calling it "an important step in our joint humanitarian efforts."
A Ukrainian officer, speaking anonymously, warned fighting could be "worse than before," saying Russian forces used the lull to amass troops and ammunition.
"If you want us not to attack Russia’s refineries, they have not to attack our energy system," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News. "Another alternative, give us Patriot missiles."
U.S.-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks are set to resume this month, as both sides investigate the cyberattack on their alert apps.
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