Cyber Chaos: Fake Nuclear Attack Alerts Hit Ukraine and Russia After System Hacks

Both Ukraine and Russia reported significant cyber attacks on their public alert applications overnight, resulting in the dissemination of false warnings about air raids, nuclear attacks, and street fighting. Although the erroneous alerts were retracted and clarifications issued within hours, they caused considerable alarm among residents who received the messages. The perpetrators of these attacks remain unidentified, and it is unclear if the two incidents are connected.

Ukraine's air raid alert app, typically used to warn of incoming drones or missiles, erroneously displayed that Kyiv was under attack. A false message claimed that Russia's hypersonic Oreshnik missile had been deployed, stating: “Hi! There will be a nuclear alert across Ukraine. Don't worry, it's Oreshnik flying.” Another alert warned residents against going outside due to a perceived threat of a chemical attack in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Air Force stated on Telegram that the air alert app appeared to have been compromised by enemy influence, assuring the public, “There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!” Ukraine's Ministry for Digital Transformation announced that the app was temporarily out of service, but confirmed that other public alert systems and air raid sirens remained operational. The country's Centre for Strategic Communications urged residents to disregard the “strange messages.” Oleksander Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, commented to the BBC that while Ukrainians are accustomed to frequent alerts, the messages being in Russian raised suspicions. He added, “It's a very unpleasant fact but it is part of cyber war and people in Ukraine understand that.”

Concurrently, the mobile app of Russia's Ministry of Emergencies was subjected to a cyberattack, leading to the spread of fabricated information to the public, according to state news agency Tass. The agency emphasized that citizens should rely on official information from TV and radio broadcasts, text messages, and loudspeakers. The fake alert falsely claimed that “nuclear warheads mounted on P1-Suns [a Ukrainian attack drone] had been launched at all regions of Russia.”

These alerts occurred shortly before the conclusion of a localized six-day ceasefire in the Kherson region, which had been brokered with the involvement of US first lady Melania Trump and the Pope. The ceasefire in the town of Oleshky expired at midnight Moscow time, with no immediate indication of renewed hostilities from either side. This ceasefire represented the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ms. Trump shared on X that the ceasefire had allowed residents to move freely, access essential supplies, and regain a sense of dignity without constant threat.

Russian forces had initially seized control of Oleshky following the 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops later recaptured significant portions of the region, including the city of Kherson. In separate developments, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported on Telegram that its military forces struck a military facility in Ukraine's Odesa region and a cargo vessel used for military purposes located 58km south of Odesa. An Odesa official separately reported on Telegram that a Russian attack had injured four people.