Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleRussia and Ukraine have each reported cyberattacks on their air raid warning apps, according to Al Jazeera, which cited AFP and Reuters. The incidents came just after a localised truce ended in part of the Russian-occupied Kherson region.
Fake alerts in Ukraine
On Sunday evening, local time, the Ukrainian Air Force said users of the national air raid alert app had received false warnings. The messages claimed there were nuclear and chemical threats to Kyiv and surrounding areas. They also warned of potential street combat.
Another erroneous message said Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile had been deployed.
The Air Force said on Telegram that the app appeared to have been subjected to “enemy influence.” It urged people to stay calm and follow its official channel, stating: “There is no radiation threat!”
SPRAVDI, Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, blamed Russia for the hack in a post on X.
The app is used across Ukraine to warn people in real time of incoming Russian air attacks. Kyiv authorities said a separate app built specifically for the capital kept working normally.
Russia reports its own cyberattack
Hours later, early on Monday, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said on Telegram that its emergency warnings app had come under a “massive cyberattack.” The ministry said the attack spread “false information” on the app, which alerts users to incoming drone attacks.
The ministry did not say who was behind the attack.
Backdrop: end of a Kherson truce
The reports followed the end of a truce between the two countries in a part of the Russian-occupied Kherson region. The localised ceasefire began on Tuesday and ended on Sunday. According to Al Jazeera, it was the longest of the war so far.
The source does not link the cyberattacks to the end of the truce beyond noting that the announcements came after it. Each side’s account of the incidents comes from its own officials and agencies, and the claims about responsibility have not been independently confirmed in the report.
Air raid alert apps give civilians real-time warning of attacks. False alerts about nuclear, chemical or missile threats can cause fear and confusion, and the Ukrainian Air Force moved quickly to tell users the radiation warning was untrue.
Source: Al Jazeera
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
