Ukraine's public air raid alert application was temporarily hacked, causing it to send false notifications of radiation and chemical threats to residents in Kyiv and other areas. The Ukrainian military confirmed the breach on Sunday night, stating that the abnormality had since disappeared and assuring the public there was no actual radiation threat.
"The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence," Ukraine's Air Force said on Telegram. A spokesperson for the air force told AFP that the app had indeed been hacked. SPRAVDI, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications, blamed Russia for the incident.
The fake alerts began around 10:47 p.m. local time, with messages warning of radiation threats, nuclear alerts, and chemical attacks. Some notifications also mentioned street fighting in Kyiv. These messages were followed by multiple "all clear" notifications. Ukrainian officials urged residents to remain calm and follow official updates.
The incident occurred shortly after the end of a localized ceasefire in the eastern Kherson region, which was the longest truce of the war. Ukrainian officials stated that Russia refused to extend the ceasefire, which had facilitated a humanitarian mission to the occupied city of Oleshky.
While the air raid app was compromised, a separate application specifically for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, continued to function normally, according to Kyiv city authorities. The air raid app is crucial for alerting citizens in real-time to the threat of air strikes, often providing only minutes to find shelter.