Cyber-Attacks Target Ukraine and Russia Warning Systems
False nuclear alerts and energy site strikes escalate digital and physical conflict; ceasefire expires amid troop movements.
Callum Smith
Ukraine and Russia reported cyber-hacks on their mobile app warning systems overnight.
The air alert app in Ukraine briefly showed Kyiv and other areas under a nuclear alert. These false alerts appeared in English with spelling and grammatical errors, alongside a mix of Russian and Ukrainian.
Russia's Emergency Ministry reassured its citizens that the wider public alert system functioned normally. The Ukrainian emergency app stated on Sunday that "unauthorised parties" had interfered with its operation, leading to a temporary suspension of the channel.
Unauthorised parties had interfered with its operation.
Both sides carried out strikes targeting energy sites, including oil refineries, overnight. A Ukrainian hacker group claims to have sent fake alerts warning of nuclear warheads to users inside Russia.
Conversely, the hacking group Hitcore, via the Russian Telegram channel Mash, claimed responsibility for the attack on Ukraine's emergency alert app. The Ukrainian Air Force also stated that its air alert app appeared to have been subjected to enemy influence.
The cyber-attacks unfold as a six-day ceasefire, brokered by Melania Trump, expired at 11pm on Sunday. The White House stated Russia used this truce to strengthen positions and rotate troops in Oleshky, with footage showing Russian soldiers deploying heavy military equipment and delivering ammunition there.
Despite the ceasefire, Russia resumed attacks on the southern city of Kherson, with a Russian drone hitting a hospital. Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, suggested the ceasefire could be repeated on other parts of the frontline, though Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated there were no plans for another truce elsewhere.