Ukraine Air Force App Hacked, Spreading False Russian Warnings of Chemical and Nuclear Threats

Ukraine's Air Force has stated that its air raid alert application was compromised, allegedly by Russia, leading to the dissemination of erroneous messages. On Sunday, false alerts were issued to areas in and around Kyiv, warning of nuclear and chemical threats, as well as potential street combat. An additional erroneous message claimed the deployment of Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile.

"The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence," the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Telegram on Sunday. "There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel." SPRAVDI, Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, attributed the hack to Russia in a post on X. The air raid alert app is utilized throughout Ukraine to provide real-time warnings of incoming Russian air attacks.

Kyiv authorities confirmed that a separate application, specifically designed for the Ukrainian capital, was functioning normally. Hours later, early on Monday morning, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry reported that its mobile application had been subjected to a "massive cyberattack." The ministry stated on Telegram that this attack resulted in the propagation of "false information." These announcements from both Russia and Ukraine follow the conclusion of a truce between the two nations in Kherson, which had been the longest ceasefire of the war to date, commencing on Tuesday and ending on Sunday.