Russia and Ukraine have reported cyberattacks on their emergency alert applications, with both countries warning of false information being circulated through systems designed to protect civilians from incoming attacks.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said early Monday that its emergency warning application had suffered a “massive cyberattack,” resulting in the spread of false information. The app is used to alert people to incoming drone attacks.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry did not identify those responsible for the incident or provide further details about its scale.
The announcement came hours after Ukraine’s Air Force reported that its air raid alert application had also been compromised, with users receiving fabricated warnings about nuclear and chemical threats around Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Air Force said in a Telegram post on Sunday evening that users had received false notifications warning of nuclear and chemical threats in areas in and around the capital, as well as possible street fighting.
Another erroneous message reportedly claimed that Russia had deployed its hypersonic Oreshnik missile.
“The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence. There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel.”
Ukrainian Air Force
Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, known as SPRAVDI, blamed Russia for the incident in a post on X. However, the Ukrainian Air Force’s statement did not independently establish who was responsible for the alleged hack.
The nationwide air raid alert application is used to warn Ukrainians in real time about incoming Russian air attacks. Kyiv authorities said a separate application dedicated to the Ukrainian capital continued to operate normally.
The reported incidents raise concerns about the reliability of emergency communication systems during wartime, when false warnings can create confusion among civilians already facing the threat of missile and drone attacks.
Neither country’s announcement, as described in the available statements, established a connection between the two reported cyberattacks.
Reports Follow Localised Ceasefire In Oleshky
The cyberattack announcements came after the end of a localised ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Kherson region of Ukraine.
The truce, which began on Tuesday and ended on Sunday, has been described as the longest pause in hostilities of the war so far. It enabled a rare joint humanitarian operation to evacuate residents from the besieged front-line city of Oleshky, which concluded on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump praised the temporary cessation of fighting, saying that it had allowed civilians to move more freely and obtain essential supplies.
“The ceasefire across Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack. Let Oleshky become the starting point for lasting peace.”
Donald Trump
An estimated 2,000 civilians were in Oleshky when the truce took effect. Residents were reportedly given the option of evacuating to territory controlled by either Ukraine or Russia, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.
Authorities did not release precise figures for those who remained after the evacuation, citing safety concerns.
Despite the localised truce, hostilities continued elsewhere, with both sides reporting attacks involving drones and other military targets.
Energy Infrastructure And Drone Attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russian forces continued targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter, leaving hundreds of thousands of families without electricity overnight.
He also said Russia was seeking to exploit Ukraine’s shortage of air defence capabilities, particularly ballistic missile interceptors. “The intensity of the strikes is extremely high, and the Russians are trying to take maximum advantage of the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Russian Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin stated that more than 100 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the Nizhny Novgorod region, east of Moscow.
Nikitin reported that an industrial building in the town of Kstovo had sustained “significant damage” but provided no further details.
Russian media outlets subsequently reported that the attack had sparked a fire at the Kstovo oil refinery. The reports also said regional authorities introduced limits on gasoline sales after queues formed at petrol stations. Diesel sales were reportedly unaffected.
Zelenskyy separately disclosed that Ukrainian forces had struck a factory involved in producing missile components and air defence facilities in Russia’s southern Rostov region. “We are justly defending ourselves against Russian aggression and doing everything to reduce Russia’s capability to continue it,” he wrote.
The reports of cyberattacks, alongside continued strikes on energy infrastructure and military facilities, show the range of security challenges facing both countries as the war continues. The incidents also exposed the importance of reliable public warning systems, particularly when civilians depend on timely and accurate information to respond to potential threats.
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