False radiation and chemical attack warnings hit Kyiv as Ukraine says its air alert app was hacked

Ukraine's official air-raid alert app was likely hacked, the country's Air Force said, after false emergency alerts warning of a radiation hazard and a chemical attack spread panic across Kyiv on Sunday.

The false warnings urged residents not to go outside. One alert read that there was a radiation hazard alert in Kyiv and told people not to go outside, and another carried the same instruction alongside a chemical attack alert.

The public air alert online map also displayed Kyiv and other areas as under a nuclear alert. The app issued false warnings about Russia's hypersonic Oreshnik missile and alleged street fighting in Kyiv as well.

Loudspeakers in the streets also blasted a recorded message instructing people to take precautions.

Ukraine's Air Force said in a statement posted to Telegram that the air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence. There is no radiation threat, the statement said, urging people to stay calm and follow updates on the Air Force channel.

Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia for the incident, although no group had publicly claimed responsibility.

Separately, Russia's Emergencies Ministry said early Monday that its mobile application had been hit by a massive cyberattack that allowed attackers to send false information to the public, announcing the breach on Telegram.