Ukraine suspects nationwide air raid alert app has been hacked

Ukraine's air force stated on Sunday that the nationwide Air Alert application had likely been hacked, warning that threat notifications no longer accurately reflected the situation on the ground. According to BBC News, the application briefly sent false alerts starting around 22:47, including claims of a radiation threat in Kyiv, a nuclear alert across Ukraine mentioning "Oreshnik," a chemical threat in Kyiv, and warnings of street fighting in the capital.

Kyiv Independent reported that sirens also sounded in streets across the country, including Zakarpattia Oblast, while false notifications were sent to phones via the app.

The suspected interference occurred minutes after a localized ceasefire in the eastern Kherson region ended. Le Monde English noted that this truce, which began on Tuesday, October 26, had been the longest of the war.

Authorities have advised the public to stay calm and use official channels for information. BBC World reported that officials stated there is no threat. The Ukrainian Central Intelligence Agency urged people to use other sources to clarify air strike threats, while regional governors in Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia warned of a cyberattack, with Vinnytsia Oblast Governor Natalia Zabolotna specifically advising residents not to click on links in messages.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Le Monde English, BBC World, BBC News, Kyiv Independent — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.