Falschmeldung Radioaktivität: App für Notfall-Warnungen in Ukraine und Russland gehackt

Ukrainian and Russian emergency alert apps were hacked, according to official reports. A false warning of radioactive radiation in Kiev appeared in the Ukrainian app "Air Alert" late Sunday night. The Ukrainian Air Force announced via Telegram that the app may have been compromised by the enemy, and there was no danger from radiation.

Then, on Monday night, Russia reported a large-scale cyberattack on its warning system, according to the state news agency Tass, which cited the Civil Defense Ministry. The attackers managed to send false information to the population, the Russian authorities stated. The ministry's website was temporarily inaccessible in the night.

It is possible that this was a Ukrainian counterattack on the Russian system, as the sequence of events suggests a response from Kiev after the attack on the Ukrainian system. Russia has been attacking Ukraine for four and a half years through air, land, and sea, including cyberattacks, which do not make as many headlines. On Sunday night, sirens sounded in some regions, warning of potential chemical attacks.

Citizens were advised not to click on links in the warning app. Air attacks and necessary regional warnings are now part of daily life for Ukrainians. During larger attacks on Kiev, people often seek shelter in metro stations. Ukraine defends itself with Western military and budget aid against its neighbor. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to order attacks on Russian refining facilities, insisting that his country must respond if Russia attacks energy infrastructure and kills people in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president reiterated this stance in a conversation with the US broadcaster Fox News. The US Trump administration asked Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries due to high diesel prices. Zelenskyy said that if Ukraine stopped attacking oil infrastructure for a month, the US should provide enough Patriot anti-aircraft missiles for a month to defend against Russian attacks.

The Ukrainian military cannot defend against many enemy attacks, especially those involving ballistic missiles, because it has run out of ammunition for advanced defense systems. Zelenskyy repeatedly asks Western partners for additional support for Ukraine's air defense, particularly the delivery of more Patriot missile defense systems.

However, these are now in short supply, partly due to the Iran war, and production in the US has been ramped up but cannot keep pace with developments in various conflicts.