The compromised notifications, received via the Air Alert app, led to widespread confusion among residents
Ukraine’s air raid alert system was hacked late on November 1, triggering sirens across the country and sending residents false warnings of nuclear, chemical and street fighting threats, the country’s Air Force has said.
Journalists from The Kyiv Independent received notifications on their phones through the officially supported Air Alert app, developed in collaboration with the Digital Transformation Ministry and security technology company Ajax Systems.
One false warning, sent in Russian, read: “Hi! A nuclear alert is about to go off all across Ukraine! Don’t worry, the Oreshnik is on its way.”
Air raid sirens also sounded in several parts of the country, including Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine. The Air Force said the app had likely been compromised in a cyberattack and urged people not to panic.
“It is likely that the ‘Air Alert’ app has been compromised by the enemy. There is no radiation threat! Please stay calm and follow our updates on our (Telegram) channel,” it said.
Several regional governors also confirmed reports of a cyberattack and reassured residents that there was no immediate threat.
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk said the situation in the region was calm, adding that reports indicated a cyberattack on the notification app.
Vinnytsia Oblast Governor Natalia Zabolotna warned that the incident could involve a phishing attempt and urged residents not to open suspicious links.
“Cyberattack on the ‘Air Alert’ app. Do not click on the link in the message,” she said.
Ceasefire in Kherson Region Ends
The cyberattack came as a rare humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine’s front-line Kherson region came to an end on Sunday night.
The localised truce had allowed civilians to evacuate the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. It was scheduled to end at 22:59 local time.