Ukrainian and Russian Air Alert Apps Hacked Overnight – Ukraine and Russia reported cyberattacks on their emergency notification apps after users received false warnings of nuclear threats, chemical attacks, and other dangers overnight into the morning of Monday, November 2.
Ukrainian authorities said there was no radiation threat after alarming messages appeared late Sunday. Hours later, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said its own mobile application had been compromised and used to distribute false information.
Tu-22M3 Russian Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-22M3 Bomber Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The incidents came within minutes of the expiration of a ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, where a temporary truce brokered by First Lady of the United States Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV had been in effect to allow the evacuation of hundreds of civilians.
False Nuclear Warnings
Ukraine’s Air Alert app issued messages warning of radiation, chemical danger, and street fighting in Kyiv and other areas. Moreover, one notification written in Russian referred to Oreshnik, Russia’s nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile.
“Hi! A nuclear alert is about to go off all across Ukraine! Don’t worry, the Oreshnik is on its way,” the false warning stated.
The Ukrainian Air Force told residents the application appeared to have suffered hostile interference and said there was no radiation danger. Authorities temporarily disabled the app and directed people to other official information channels.
All of Ukraine Affected
Journalists from the Kyiv Independent also received false notifications and reported that street alarms sounded in parts of the country. In a statement translated by the publication, Air Alert developer Ajax Systems said: “Today, unauthorized persons have interfered with the application. We have disabled push notifications and temporarily suspended the application.”
Regional governors also warned that the Air Alert app, which is one of multiple systems used to notify civilians of incoming projectiles, had been hacked. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service urged civilians to monitor local authorities and listen for alerts on local loudspeakers.
The app’s operations were gradually restored overnight.
Russian Hacks
Shortly after the Air Alert attack, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported a cyberattack on its own mobile app, saying hackers sent false information to users.
One notification warned Russian users that “nuclear warheads mounted on P1-Suns had been launched at all regions of Russia.” It also included expletives and warned civilians of a “risk of [things] getting lively,” telling all users to “stock up urgently on food and hide.”
There was little evidence that the attack prompted widespread panic in either Russia or Ukraine, with the use of casual language and expletives making it evident to users that the notifications were a false alarm. It remains unclear whether the two breaches were connected, and no group has yet been identified as responsible for either attack.
Tu-22M3 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not directly address the breach when asked on Monday morning, but he spoke about the wider threat of hacks against the Russian government.
“One war or another, all electronic resources of our government departments are under constant threat from cyberattack,” Peskov told reporters. “The website of the Russian president suffers multiple cyberattacks every day. Other departments too. As technology, including artificial intelligence, develops, the threat from cyberattacks grows. This obliges all departments to take measures to better protect our digital resources.”
Memories of Chernobyl
For older Ukrainians, radiation warnings may bring back horrific memories of the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.
The Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the country’s north was the site of the world’s worst-ever nuclear accident, with dozens of plant workers and emergency responders succumbing to radiation-related illnesses in the months after the disaster. Authorities evacuated Chornobyl, along with the nearby city of Pripyat, which has remained a ghost town ever since.
More recently, fighting around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has created continuing safety concerns. The site, which has been occupied since the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion, sits close to the front line. On Thursday, October 29, a worker at the power plant was killed in a drone attack, although it remains unclear as to whether it was launched from Russian or Ukrainian territory.
On social media, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi said that any attack on staff at a nuclear power plant is “completely unacceptable” and is a violation of the Seven Indispensable Pillars for Nuclear Safety and Security during an armed conflict. He also called for “maximum military restraint” to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
