False alerts hit emergency apps in Ukraine and Russia

Emergency alert apps in Ukraine and Russia carried false warnings after reported cyberattacks, prompting Ukraine’s Air Force to deny any radiation threat and the Russian Emergencies Ministry to say its app had been attacked. Ukraine’s Air Alert app displayed false warnings about radiation and nuclear danger, chemical threats and street fighting in Kyiv on November 1. Some messages referred to Russia’s Oreshnik missile and included a link to a Telegram channel. The Air Force said the app had likely faced hostile interference and urged users to stay calm and follow official updates. The Air Alert development team said unauthorized third parties had interfered with the service. It temporarily suspended the app and disabled push notifications, then began restoring service before 2 a.m. on November 2. Push alerts were returning during the restoration, but displays of targets on the map remained paused. The team said the app does not store personal data and advised users not to open suspicious links. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia for the incident. The Air Force did not identify a specific actor, and no group publicly claimed responsibility in the...