Ukraine and Russia air raid apps hacked with fake nuclear alerts

Ukraine and Russia’s emergency air raid apps have both been reportedly hacked, sending fake nuclear warnings to residents just hours after a rare local ceasefire ended. The Daily Mail reported ^[1] that Ukraine’s Air Force first noticed the glitch, which briefly triggered radiation alerts for Kyiv and Lviv. The military confirmed the abnormality had disappeared by Sunday night, with spokesman Yuriy Ignat stating, "Yes, it has been" hacked.

According to the BBC ^[1], the messages began at 10.47pm local time, with the first alert declaring, "Radiation threat declared in Kyiv." A second message followed a minute later, joking, "Don't worry, it's Oreshnik flying," before warnings about chemical threats and street fighting appeared. The Independent noted ^[2] that the Air Force urged citizens to "stay calm" on Telegram, insisting there was no actual radiation threat.

The digital chaos occurred shortly after the end of the longest truce of the war, a six-day pause in the Kherson region brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. As the ceasefire expired on Sunday, the hacking of Russia’s app followed in the early hours of Monday. Authorities in Moscow blamed a Ukrainian espionage group for sending fake warnings of nuclear strikes. The Independent reported ^[2] that Russia’s app remained down as of 2.30am UK time, though officials claimed the wider alert system was unaffected.

This cyber disruption coincides with intensified kinetic activity. Ukraine struck the Kamensky missile plant in Russia’s Rostov region and launched over 100 drones at Kstovo, an industrial hub east of Moscow, according to The Independent ^[2]. Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have downed 235 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 371 of 433 long-range drones launched since Saturday evening.

The Oleshky ceasefire, which ran from October 27 to November 1, allowed hundreds of civilians to evacuate or remain in the town with replenished supplies. Pope Leo XIV expressed hope that this cooperation would encourage broader dialogue, as reported by The Independent ^[2]. However, prospects for peace remain uncertain, with President Vladimir Putin continuing to demand Ukraine surrender territory in Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. US-mediated talks are expected to resume later this month, though they have been effectively frozen since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.