Russia, Ukraine report cyberattacks on emergency alert apps

Russia and Ukraine reported separate cyber incidents early Monday targeting their emergency alert mobile applications, with false warnings about security threats transmitted to users in both countries, officials in Moscow and Kyiv said.

Ukrainian forces cite 'hostile interference'

The Ukrainian Air Force said the country's Air Alert application had likely been subjected to "hostile interference" after false warnings appeared on the platform early Monday. "There is no radiation threat," the military said on Telegram, urging residents to remain calm and follow official updates rather than unsubstantiated alerts. Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications later blamed Russia for the incident, saying users had received "strange messages," including a Russian-language message referring to the Oreshnik missile.

Russian ministry confirms breach

Hours later, Russia's Emergencies Ministry said its mobile application had been hit by a "massive cyberattack" which allowed attackers to send false information to the public. The ministry said Russia's broader public warning system was operating normally and had not been affected by the breach, with citizens continuing to receive alerts through sirens, loudspeakers, SMS messages and television and radio broadcasts as standard. Specialists were working to restore the app's normal operation and the situation was "under control," it added.

Unclear if incidents connected

Moscow did not attribute the attack on its systems to any specific actor or state sponsor. It was not immediately clear whether the two incidents were connected, though both occurred within hours of each other as Ukrainian officials confirmed that false alerts on their platform included references to Russia's Oreshnik missile system.