Cyberattacks hit emergency alert apps in both Russia and Ukraine, spreading false warnings

The emergency warning systems of both Russia and Ukraine have been hit by cyberattacks. Authorities in the two countries said their alert apps were hacked and false warnings were spread through them.

Moscow's emergencies ministry said its alert app had suffered a 'major cyberattack' through which hackers could spread false information. Russia did not immediately say who was behind the attack.

The Russian ministry said its app remains shut, but the wider public alert system is 'working normally'. Citizens are being warned through multiple channels including sirens and loudspeakers, text messages, and TV and radio broadcasts.

On its Telegram channel, the ministry said the app is 'only an additional, auxiliary news service' and that 'the hacking of the mobile app has not affected the functioning of the public alert system'. Experts are working to restore the app's normal operation and the situation is 'under control', it said.

Just a few days earlier, false alerts were sent through a hack of Ukraine's air-raid warning app; one of the alerts was a message in Russian. Ukraine's government Strategic Communications Centre, in a post on X, blamed Russia for the hacking and posted a photo of warnings displayed in the app.

At the same time, Ukraine urged citizens to 'ignore' any 'strange message' seen in the app. The country's air force urged people to stay calm; a warning sent on Telegram said there was no radiation threat and updates should be followed on their channel.

Ukraine's relevant intelligence agency said a technical fault had appeared in the app and asked citizens to use other sources for a clear picture of the air-raid threat. The Air Alert app belongs to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation; it informs users about the start and end of defence alerts.

The false alerts in Ukraine were sent just minutes before the end of a ceasefire in Oleshky, a frontline town held by Russia since 2022.

The rare six-day ceasefire, reached through a deal mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, allowed hundreds of people to be evacuated from Oleshky. It was the longest ceasefire since Russia's full-scale invasion began.

But fighting in Oleshky may resume, as both sides have accused each other of using the time to strengthen their frontline forces. Kyiv officials say the humanitarian mission could lead to 'systematic solutions' and 'pave the way for the next steps in the peace process'.

Yana Lantratova, who coordinated the Oleshky operation on the Russian side, said both countries had agreed to carry out 'regular humanitarian missions'. But according to President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, the Kremlin sees such operations as separate from the peace process.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine have attacked each other's energy infrastructure. Russia said a drone attacked an 'industrial facility' east of Moscow overnight, which Ukrainian media identified as the Kostovo oil refinery. Gleb Nikitin, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, reported a 'major' drone attack, warned of significant damage at the plant and of power outages and reduced hot-water supply; he also said a woman was injured by falling drone debris.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia attacked energy infrastructure in four regions on Saturday night, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power; a Reuters report quoted him as saying the intensity of the attacks was 'very high'. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attacked Russian oil and gas facilities in retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the report said.

A false warning sent through Russia's emergency app told users that nuclear warheads mounted on Ukrainian attack drones had been launched at all regions of Russia. The message also advised citizens to stock food for three weeks and hide.