Officials in Ukraine and Russia reported that cyberattacks caused false emergency alerts to be sent out on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
Alerts sent to Ukrainians falsely claimed high radiation levels, a chemical threat, and street fights in Kyiv. Meanwhile, an alert sent to Russians falsely warned of a nuclear attack. It was not immediately clear whether the two cyberattacks were related.
The false warnings occurred as a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky expired. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump had brokered the ceasefire to provide humanitarian aid to the region and evacuate some civilians.
Ukraine’s Spravdi strategic communications center said in a statement on X on the afternoon of Nov. 1 that Russians had hacked the country’s Air Alert app based on “several unusual alerts” sent to Ukrainians. The communications center advised Ukrainians to disregard what it described as “strange messages” in the app.
The emergency notifications received by Ukrainians were written in a mix of English, Russian, and Ukrainian and contained grammatical and spelling mistakes.
One message written in Russian said: “Hi! There will be a nuclear threat across Ukraine. Do not worry, the Oreshnik is incoming.” The Oreshnik is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile.
However, the Ukrainian air force said in a subsequent genuine Telegram message that there was no threat of radiation. It advised people to remain calm and follow updates on its channel.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation also released a statement on social media suggesting that Ukraine’s Air Alert app had likely been hacked.
“Currently, the information disseminated regarding threat levels is not true,” the Center for Countering Disinformation wrote.
“We urge you not to panic, not to click on any external links, and not to spread unverified information. Follow air raid alerts through official channels and resources of authorized bodies.”
Yurii Ihnat, Ukrainian air force command spokesman, told Ukraine’s private 1+1 television that the cyberattack that affected the Air Alert app did not affect the country’s security or defense operations since it was separate from military command systems.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that hackers sent a false alert to 33 of the country’s 89 regions at roughly 2:45 a.m. Moscow time on Nov. 2. The hackers were not immediately identified by Russian officials.
“The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s mobile app has been hit by a massive cyberattack, allowing perpetrators to send out fake information to the public,” the ministry said, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
A screenshot of the fake alert warned that nuclear warheads had been launched across Russia and advised people to stock up on food and to hide.
The digital vulnerability in Russia’s app exploited by the hackers was quickly identified, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. The ministry added that measures were being taken to prevent another incident and that its broader public alert system was working normally.
The ministry also announced that experts were working to restore the app after it was hacked.
“We ask the public to remain calm and to trust only official sources of information—the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations’ website and the department’s official social media accounts,” it said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s state agencies are constantly threatened by cyberattacks, including the use of artificial intelligence.
“All government bodies must take steps to improve the cybersecurity of our digital resources,” he said.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
The cyberattacks came as the localized ceasefire in Oleshky concluded on Nov. 1. The first lady described the ceasefire, which started on Oct. 27, as a success. She added that almost 800 people were evacuated from the area.
“On behalf of America, I commend Russia and Ukraine for their leadership and cooperation surrounding the Oleshky ceasefire. I hope Oleshky serves as a foundation for lasting peace between both nations,” she wrote in a Nov. 1 statement on X.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
