Ukraine Investigates Cyberattack After Hackers Send Fake Nuclear Strike Warnings to Emergency App Users
Unknown hackers have reportedly breached Ukraine’s nationwide emergency alert application, sending residents of Kyiv alarming but false notifications warning of a possible nuclear attack.
The compromised application issued a warning late on Sunday, claiming there was a high risk of nuclear radiation in the Ukrainian capital. It also circulated false alerts about a chemical threat and street-to-street fighting.
The notifications, which appeared in both English and Ukrainian, reportedly contained several spelling errors.
The alerts began shortly before 11 p.m. local time, prompting mixed reactions among residents. While some dismissed the warnings as evidence that the application had been hacked, others were left frightened by the messages.
One resident, identified as Nina, described her reaction, saying: “I was briefly terrified. I lay on my bed and wondered what was coming.”
Fake Alert Claims Russia Could Launch Oreshnik Missiles
Another notification, written in Russian, claimed that Ukraine was about to face an attack involving Oreshnik ballistic missiles, a weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Russia has previously deployed the missile system on three occasions, striking targets in the Kyiv region as well as the cities of Dnipro and Lviv.
Following the incident, Ukraine’s emergency alert application issued a statement on Sunday confirming that its operations had been disrupted by what it described as interference from “unauthorised parties”.
The platform announced that the affected channel had been temporarily suspended and advised users against opening links contained in suspicious notifications.
Identity of Hackers Remains Unclear
It remained unclear who was responsible for the cyberattack or what motivated the operation.
Meanwhile, Russian officials also claimed that hackers had distributed fake emergency warnings in Russia after gaining access to the emergency application operated by the country’s Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow.
One of the messages associated with the incident reportedly mentioned a hacking group known as Hitcore.
Russian Telegram channel Mash, which has links to the country’s security services, reported that it had contacted representatives of Hitcore, who allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, the identity of the hackers and the full circumstances surrounding the cyber incidents had not been independently established.
The incident has highlighted the potential security risks associated with emergency alert systems, particularly during wartime, when residents depend on official notifications for accurate information about possible threats.
