Ukraine and Russia report fake emergency alerts after cyberattack targets apps

Authorities in Ukraine and Russia said their emergency alert mobile apps were targeted by cyberattacks over the weekend, after users in Ukraine received false warnings of an imminent nuclear threat. Ukraine’s service, used by residents to seek safety amid daily Russian missile and drone strikes, was suspended but later returned to operation. Russia said hackers gained access to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry’s mobile app and then sent fake alerts across 33 of Russia’s 89 regions at about 2:45 a.m. Moscow time (11:45 p.m. GMT). A Russian Telegram post cited the group Hitcore as claiming responsibility for the Ukrainian breach, but this was not independently verified. Ukraine warned users not to click suspicious links and urged reliance on physical alerts during recovery.