Cyberattacks send false warnings through Ukrainian and Russian emergency apps

Emergency alert apps in Ukraine and Russia were targeted by cyberattacks on Sunday, authorities in both countries said, with Ukrainian users receiving fabricated warnings about dangerous radiation levels in Kyiv. Other false notifications described a chemical threat and public disturbances in the capital. Some messages contained English spelling and grammar mistakes, while others mixed Russian and Ukrainian.

Ukraine's air raid alert channel announced on Telegram late Sunday that outside parties had interfered with the app, prompting a temporary suspension. It advised users to avoid links contained in suspicious notifications. Authorities said service was restored overnight. Ukrainians depend on the app for warnings that help them seek shelter during daily Russian missile and drone attacks.

One fraudulent message referred to the hacking group Hitcore. Mash, a Russian Telegram channel linked to the security services, reported that people it described as representatives of the group had claimed responsibility in conversations with the channel. Their claim could not be independently confirmed. Ukraine's state-run Center for Countering Disinformation acknowledged the breach and directed people to emergency information on social media and physical warning systems while the problem was addressed.

Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine's air force command, said the intrusion did not affect security or defence operations because the app operates separately from military command systems. Speaking to the private Ukrainian television channel 1+1, he said the air force was continuing to communicate threats in real time through independent channels, including widely used social media platforms.

Russian officials said Monday that hackers had accessed the Emergency Ministry's mobile app and distributed false warnings. The ministry did not identify those responsible. It said the broader public warning network remained operational and described the app as an additional service supporting alerts delivered by text message, media broadcasts, municipal sirens and loudspeakers.

Meanwhile, authorities in Ukraine's divided Kherson region reported several Russian drone attacks early Monday, shortly after a humanitarian ceasefire ended. A woman aged 62 and a man aged 73 were hospitalized with blast injuries in Kherson city, the regional administration said. The city lies across the Dnipro River from territory occupied by Russia.

The localized truce expired at midnight as Monday began. Introduced on Oct. 27 in connection with an aid mission to Russian-occupied Oleshky, it was the most significant ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The pause enabled a rare joint evacuation operation for besieged Oleshky residents, which concluded Saturday.

About 2,000 civilians were estimated to be in Oleshky when the ceasefire started. Residents could leave for Ukrainian-controlled or Russian-controlled territory, or stay with fresh supplies of food and medicine. Evacuation figures were withheld to protect those remaining in the city. Ukraine's general staff said Monday that Russian forces had used the pause to strengthen drone defences and restock ammunition in the area.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian emergency services said drone strikes wounded 12 people in the eastern Kharkiv region, where a refrigeration facility, greenhouses and residential buildings sustained damage. In the Black Sea port of Odesa, five people were reported injured in attacks that targeted a warehouse and damaged homes.