Ukraine and Russia report fake emergency alerts after cyberattacks target apps

Authorities in Ukraine and Russia say their emergency alert mobile apps were targeted by cyberattacks, with users in Ukraine receiving false warnings of dangerously high radiation levels in the capital, Kyiv.

In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s air raid alert channel says “unauthorized parties” had interfered with the app’s operation and that the service had been temporarily suspended. It warned users not to click on links in “suspicious notifications.”

Authorities in Ukraine say the app, which Ukrainians rely on to seek safety amid daily Russian missile and drone strikes, was restored overnight. The alerts — making false claims of high radiation levels, a chemical threat and public disturbances in Kyiv — were written in English with spelling and grammatical errors as well as in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian.

In Russia, officials say that hackers had sent fake emergency alerts after gaining access to the Russian Emergency Ministry’s mobile app.

The ministry does not name who carried out the attack. In a statement, it reassures Russians that the wider public alert system is working normally, and that the mobile app acts as a supplementary service alongside alerts shared through SMS messages, media broadcasts and municipal sirens and loudspeakers.