Russia and Ukraine report cyberattacks on emergency alert apps after Kherson truce ends
Both Moscow and Kyiv said their emergency warning applications were targeted by cyberattacks, spreading false alerts about drone strikes and alleged nuclear threats.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry announced on Telegram that its emergency warnings app suffered a massive cyberattack, which it said resulted in the dissemination of false information about incoming drone attacks. The ministry did not identify the perpetrators.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that its air raid alert app sent users fake warnings of nuclear and chemical threats around Kyiv, as well as a false notice about a hypersonic missile deployment. "The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence," the Air Force wrote, adding that there was no radiation threat and urging people to stay calm and follow official updates.
Ukraine's Centre for Strategic Communications, SPRAVDI, attributed the hack to Russia in a post on X. Kyiv officials noted that a separate alert app for the capital continued to function normally.
The incidents occurred shortly after a localized truce in the Russian-occupied Kherson region came to an end, heightening tensions over the reliability of civilian warning systems.