KYIV/ MOSCOW — Hackers breached government-run emergency alert systems in Ukraine and Russia late Sunday, sending false warnings of nuclear threats and radiation through mobile applications, authorities in both countries said.
In Ukraine, residents received messages in English, Russian and Ukrainian that falsely claimed an imminent nuclear threat, high radiation levels, chemical danger and public disturbances in Kyiv. One Russian-language notification warned: "There will be a nuclear threat across Ukraine. Do not worry, the Oreshnik is incoming," referring to a Russian ballistic missile. The messages contained spelling and grammatical errors.
Ukraine temporarily suspended its alert app, which residents use to receive warnings about Russian missile and drone strikes, but said it was back online. The country's air raid alert channel said "unauthorized parties" had interfered with the app and urged users not to click links in suspicious notifications. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation advised residents to follow other emergency channels while the breach was being addressed.
In Russia, the Emergency Situations Ministry said a false alert was sent through its app at around 2:45am Moscow time across 33 of the country's 89 regions. The ministry said it had identified the digital vulnerability exploited by the hackers and was taking steps to prevent another breach. It added that the wider public warning system remained operational through text messages, media broadcasts and municipal sirens and loudspeakers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian government agencies faced a constant threat of cyberattacks, including attacks increasingly involving artificial intelligence. "All government bodies must take steps to improve the cybersecurity of our digital resources," he said.
The cyberattacks came as a limited ceasefire in Ukraine's southern Kherson region expired on Monday. The arrangement, which began on October 27, had allowed humanitarian aid and evacuation missions into front-line areas, including the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
Although there was little indication the messages caused widespread panic, social media users responded with humour, sharing images of pets and AI-generated apocalypse scenes. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said in a television interview that the attack had not affected the country's security or defence operations.
The claim that the hacking group Hitcore was responsible for the breach of Ukraine's system was made by a Russian Telegram channel linked to the country's security services, though it has not been independently verified.
