Russia reports ‘massive cyberattack’ on emergency app hours after Ukraine alert system hack
Moscow: Russia’s Emergencies Ministry on Monday said its mobile application had been hit by a “massive cyberattack”, hours after Ukraine reported that its air raid alert system had been compromised, with false warnings of radiation and other threats circulated to the public.
The back-to-back incidents came shortly after a five-day ceasefire in Ukraine’s eastern Kherson region ended on Sunday, raising fresh concerns over the escalation of cyber activity between the two countries.
“Attention! The mobile application of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia has been subjected to a massive cyberattack, enabling attackers to send false information to the public,” the ministry said in a post on Telegram. It added that teams were working to resolve the issue and restore normal functioning.
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The Russian application is designed to alert users about incoming drone attacks and other emergencies. The ministry did not identify those responsible for the attack.
Ukraine’s air force and anti-disinformation authorities had earlier warned that the country’s Air Alarm application may have been subjected to hostile interference after false alerts about a radiation threat appeared.
“There is no radiation threat,” the Ukrainian Air Force said, urging residents to remain calm and follow official updates. Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat later confirmed that the application had been hacked.
Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications, known as SPRAVDI, blamed Russia for the incident. However, Moscow had not publicly commented on the allegation.
Ukraine’s Ministry for Digital Transformation subsequently said the nationwide alert system was operating normally, with threat signals continuing to be transmitted to regional administrations and street alert systems. Kyiv city authorities separately said an application dedicated to the capital was functioning as usual.
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Cyberattacks follow end of Kherson ceasefire
The cyber incidents came after a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine’s Kherson region, which was in effect from October 27 to November 1, ended on Sunday. The pause had enabled a humanitarian operation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
Ukraine’s Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, described the truce as an important step in humanitarian cooperation between the two sides.
The ceasefire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. She said the operation had facilitated the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the evacuation of nearly 800 people.
The latest developments come as the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues into its fifth year. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for an energy ceasefire, saying Kyiv would stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow halted strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He also suggested that the United States could provide Patriot interceptor missiles as an alternative.
(With AFP inputs)