Millions of Ukrainians get fake nuclear alerts in a suspected Russian hack before Moscow says its app is hacked TOO
The hoax struck minutes after loudspeakers in Lviv blared the fake warnings aloud, as Russia simultaneously claimed its own emergency app suffered a cyberattack sending fake nuclear alerts inside Russia.
Ukraine's Air Alert app was hacked on Sunday night, sending millions of Ukrainians cascading false warnings of nuclear radiation, chemical attacks and street fighting in Kyiv — all written in Russian, which is banned in official Ukrainian communications. The alerts triggered loudspeakers across the Lviv region and left residents in ten minutes of panic before the air force confirmed on Telegram that there was no radiation threat. Hours later, Russia claimed its own emergency app had suffered a "massive cyberattack," with Ukrainian intelligence blamed for sending fake nuclear-strike warnings to Russians.
The fake Oreshnik missile alert read: 'Don't worry, an Oreshnik is overhead! A nuclear alert has been activated across Ukraine.'
The hack came just after a localised six-day ceasefire in the Kherson region expired — brokered by Melania Trump and Pope Leo.
Russian strikes hit four Ukrainian energy sites that same night, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, as the Kstovo oil refinery near Moscow was also reportedly struck.
