Ukraine and Russia Hit By Hoax Nuclear Threat Alerts After Cyberattacks
Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities told residents other air raid systems, like sirens, were working as normal.
On Sunday night, both Russia and Ukraine were targeted by cyberattacks that resulted in the spread of hoax emergency alerts. These alerts included false nuclear threats and other dangerous false information.
In Ukraine, the country's air alert app, which notifies citizens of potential threats from Russian attacks, displayed false warnings about radiation and chemical dangers in Kyiv. This was followed by a nuclear alert across the entire nation, just before 11 p.m. local time. The app was reportedly compromised, and Ukraine's air force denied any actual radiation threat. Later, the app warned residents that street fighting had erupted in the capital, advising them not to leave their homes.
Ukraine's government assured the public that other emergency systems, such as air raid sirens, were functioning normally. They advised citizens to monitor incoming threats through the military's social media channels.
Simultaneously, Russia's emergency situations ministry reported that its mobile app had also been hit by a significant cyberattack. Messages claiming nuclear warheads had been launched at Ukrainian P1-SUN drones circulated among Russian residents, according to Russian media. Pictures of these fabricated messages, purportedly sent by regional authorities, indicated false alerts for all regions of Russia, urging people to hoard food and seek shelter in basements.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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