Ukraine and Russia hit by cyberattacks on emergency apps

Residents in Ukraine and Russia lost access to their primary mobile warning systems late Sunday when cyberattacks targeted the official emergency applications in both nations. The intrusions disrupted a critical communication channel that Ukrainians rely on to take shelter during daily missile and drone strikes. In Moscow, the disruption affected the mobile app of the Ministry of Emergencies, though officials stated the broader public alert system remained operational.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that unauthorized parties interfered with the functionality of the national air raid alert application. The Ukrainian Air Alert channel posted on Telegram that the service was temporarily suspended due to the intrusion. Users were advised to avoid clicking links found in suspicious notifications. The application was restored during the night, ending the period of disruption for the majority of users.

During the outage, users received false alerts claiming a high danger of nuclear radiation in Kyiv. Other messages warned of chemical threats and public unrest in the capital. The text of these fraudulent alerts contained grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. The messages were written in English but also included a mix of Russian and Ukrainian, creating confusion for some recipients.

One of the false posts referenced the hacker group Hitcore. A Russian Telegram channel named Mash, which has links to security services, reported speaking with Hitcore representatives. Those representatives claimed responsibility for the attack. Independent verification of this claim has not yet been possible. The state center for countering disinformation in Ukraine confirmed the breach and urged users to monitor social media channels for updates.

Ukrainian officials instructed the public to trust physical alert sirens while the digital systems were being secured. The center recommended that citizens keep a close watch on emergency social media accounts. This guidance aimed to maintain situational awareness despite the temporary failure of the mobile platform. The restoration of the app marked the end of the immediate disruption to that specific service.

Russian officials announced on Monday that hackers had accessed the mobile application of the Ministry of Emergencies. The ministry did not identify the specific group responsible for the intrusion. In a statement, the ministry assured the public that the general public alert system functioned normally. The mobile app serves as a supplementary service alongside SMS alerts, media broadcasts, and municipal sirens and loudspeakers.