Ukraine officials said the country’s official air-raid alert app was likely hacked after residents in Kyiv received false emergency warnings on Sunday about a “radiation hazard” and a “chemical attack.”
The bogus alerts told people to remain indoors and avoid going outside.
“There is a radiation hazard alert in Kyiv. Do not go outside!” one warning stated.
Cyber actors associated with Russian Intelligence have targeted thousands of commercial messaging apps (CMAs) according to a PSA shared jointly by the FBI and CISA Friday. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A second message read: “There is a chemical attack alert in Kyiv. Do not go outside!”
Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine were also shown under a nuclear alert on the public air-raid map. The compromised app reportedly issued additional false warnings about Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile and claimed that street fighting was taking place in Kyiv.
Recorded messages were also broadcast through street loudspeakers, urging residents to take precautions.
Flame engulfs the city administration building partially destroyed by a Russian airstrike on November 1, 2026, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Alex Nikitenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s Air Force later said the air-raid alert system had been hacked and stressed that there was no actual radiation danger.
“The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence. There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement posted to Telegram.
Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications accused Russia of being behind the disruption, though no organization had publicly claimed responsibility.
Teenagers are looking at the city view during a partial power outages following Russian attacks in Kyiv on October 31, 2026. (Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP via Getty Images)
In a separate incident, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said early Monday that its mobile app had been targeted in a “massive cyberattack,” allowing attackers to distribute false information to the public.
“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 on Telegram.