Hackers have sent false warnings of a possible nuclear attack to people in Ukraine after breaking into a public emergency alert application. The messages caused concern among residents, but Ukrainian authorities quickly reassured the public that there was no radiation or nuclear threat.
One of the false messages claimed that Russia had launched its Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, according to Reuters. The warning also suggested that a nuclear alert had been declared across Ukraine.
Reuters reported that Russia’s emergency ministry also said its mobile application had been targeted in a separate cyberattack. Officials stressed that the cyberattack had not affected the country’s wider security and emergency response systems. Air raid sirens and other methods of warning the public continued to work. People were advised to rely on trusted government announcements for accurate information. Interestingly, the incident was not limited to Ukraine. The breach reportedly resulted in false warnings about nuclear attacks and other threats being sent to Russian users. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks or whether the two incidents were connected.
Reuters said it could not independently verify which groups were responsible.
