Ukrainian app sends false emergency alerts

On 1 November at 10:47 p.m., the Ukrainian app Air Alert, used to alert citizens to take shelter, began sending random messages. A critical air alert was sent across the entire country, and for residents of Kyiv, the message included a bonus radiological threat, a chemical attack, and street fighting. One of the messages, written in Russian, announced an imminent nuclear alert, adding that it was the Oreshnik, a Russian missile, that was arriving.

Radiation alerts spread in Lviv region

According to a Ukrainian statement relayed by the BBC, the "radiation" signal was also triggered on speakers in the Lviv region in northern Ukraine. Fortunately, the developers quickly cut off push notifications and suspended the app. The app, which has 6.7 million active users, is separate from military command systems in Ukraine, according to its publisher, Ajax Systems.

Russian emergency app hacked with nuclear alerts

A few hours later, early in the morning, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced a "massive cyberattack" on its own app. According to the Kyiv Post, these false alerts mentioned nuclear warheads launched toward all regions of Russia. They also appeared on regional channels of the ministry on Max, the state-supported messaging platform.

Groups linked to attacks unverified

According to the Associated Press, one of the fake Ukrainian messages cited a group called Hitcore, and Mash, a Russian Telegram channel linked to security services. The AP spoke with one of its representatives, who claimed responsibility for the attack. On the Russian side, the BBC reports that the Ukrainian media UNN cites Atesh, a group of Ukrainian supporters who may be behind the operation, but nothing of this has been verified.

Both sides confirm no major damage

The developers of Air Alert speak of unauthorized individuals, and the Russian ministry mentions a vulnerability in its app, but each side assures that the essential systems held up. Fortunately, in Ukraine, the app is separate from military command systems, and for the Russian ministry, it is only an auxiliary service alongside sirens and SMS.

False alerts cause confusion in Kyiv

On Sunday evening, Ukrainian mobile devices displayed a radiological threat message in Kyiv, with a message in Russian that mocked the panic. Several hours later, Moscow acknowledged the hacking of its own emergency application, which announced nuclear warheads across the country. Two nights of false digital sirens, no authors identified. The Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation clarified that the sirens and other alert channels were still functioning.