The Ukraine air raid alert app, designed for rapid notification to citizens about aerial threats, has likely been hacked. Following the end of the ceasefire on Sunday night, the Ukrainian Air Force and the country's misinformation countermeasure center announced that fake warnings about radiological threats had appeared in the app.
Fake Warnings and Officials' Reactions
The Ukrainian Air Force stated in an official message: "The air raid alert app has likely been targeted by hostile attack and sabotage. There is no radiological threat." Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, also confirmed that the app has been hacked and the warnings issued are not credible.
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The Ukrainian Strategic Communications Center, in a message on X, identified Russia as responsible for this cyber attack. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has not responded to this accusation. Officials in the city of Kyiv also noted that another app specifically designed for the capital of Ukraine is functioning normally and no disruptions have been observed.
Details of the Warnings and Their Effects
The fake warnings, issued in Ukrainian and Russian, included announcements of radiological threats and the danger of a chemical attack in Kyiv. The first message was released at 10:47 PM local time, stating: "Radiological threat! A radioactive radiation danger has been declared in Kyiv." Gradually, other messages were also released, some of which referred to the risk of a chemical attack and street fighting.
Following these warnings, a series of messages declaring the danger had passed were sent to users' phones. The Ukrainian Central Intelligence Agency announced that due to the disruption in the air raid alert app, a radiological danger warning was broadcast through loudspeakers in the Lviv region and that there is no radiological threat. The agency advised people to activate their mobile notifications and pay attention to the sound of sirens, and to follow news only from official sources.
Natalia Zabolotna, the governor of the Vinnytsia region, also emphasized that the "air raid alert" app has been targeted by a cyber attack, warning people not to click on links in the warning messages. The "air raid alert" app operates with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, aiming to quickly inform users about the start and end of defense alerts.
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