Russia, Ukraine Air-Raid Alert Apps Suspected of Being Hacked... Cyberattacks Spread

Russia: "Air-Raid Alert App Hit by Large-Scale Cyberattack"
Ukraine's App Also Issued "Nuclear and Chemical Attack Alerts"

As soon as Russia and Ukraine ended their localized ceasefire in Oleshky after six days, both countries reported a series of cyberattacks targeting their air raid alert systems.

According to AFP on the 2nd (local time), the Russian Emergencies Ministry's own air raid alert app, designed to warn the public of drone attack threats, was hit by a large-scale cyberattack that day.

As Russia's attacks on Ukraine continued on the 2nd (local time), city hall workers in Odesa, Ukraine, repaired homes damaged by Russian drone strikes. Reuters-Yonhap News.

The Emergencies Ministry also announced on Telegram, "Attention! The Emergencies Ministry's mobile app has been hit by a large-scale cyberattack, allowing attackers to send false information to the public." The ministry added that its technical team was working to resolve the issue.

The Russian authorities' announcement came just hours after the Ukrainian military said its air raid alert system had been targeted in a hacking attack. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it suspected its air raid alert app had been hacked at around 10:47 p.m. on the 1st.

For a time, Ukraine's air raid alert app showed alerts for nuclear and chemical attacks, as well as threats of urban combat, in several regions, including the capital, Kyiv. It also displayed a false alert claiming that Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile had been deployed. Oreshnik is a new intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by Russia and is capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. According to local reports, the false alerts ended about an hour later.

The Ukrainian Air Force said there was "a possibility of hostile forces being involved" in the hacking of its alert app. Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications named Russia as being behind the attack.

The cyberattacks on the alert apps in Russia and Ukraine were reported shortly after the localized ceasefire agreed by the two countries ended.

The two sides observed a ceasefire in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, for six days, from the early hours of the 27th of last month until the night of the 2nd. The ceasefire ended without being extended.

The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, was the longest to take place since Russia's war against Ukraine began in 2022. However, some observers say clashes could intensify after the ceasefire ended, as both sides regroup. U.S.-mediated negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war are expected to resume this month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.