Cyberattacks send fake emergency alerts in Ukraine and Russia

Authorities in Ukraine and Russia reported fake emergency alerts via their official alerting apps as cyber operations targeted these mobile services, with Ukraine warning residents of an imminent nuclear threat. The AP account notes that Ukraine’s alerting service—used by residents to seek safety amid daily missile and drone strikes—was temporarily suspended during the incident but was subsequently brought back online.

In Russia, authorities said hackers had gained access to the Emergency Situations Ministry’s mobile app and sent counterfeit alerts, with efforts under way to restore full functionality.

The report does not specify technical indicators such as malware families, CVEs, app versions, or whether the incidents were linked, beyond describing both nations as affected and linked to cyberattacks on emergency alert systems. The Ukraine incident is described as a temporary disruption followed by a rapid recovery, while the Russian case is described as ongoing remediation after the fake alerts were issued.

The stance attributes the described events to statements from Ukraine’s authorities and Russian officials, with the AP piece carried by PBS as the primary corroboration channel. The piece frames the events as concurrent incidents around the end of a limited ceasefire, without detailing broader exploitation or wider impact beyond the alerting apps themselves.