Ukraine and Russia Both Report Emergency Alert App Hacks With False Nuclear Warnings

Ukraine's emergency "Air Alert" app sent false warnings of a nationwide air raid, radiation hazard, chemical threat and street fighting in Kyiv on Sunday night, and Russia said hours later that its own emergency alert app had also been hacked. The messages began around 10:45 p.m. Kyiv time (3:45 p.m. ET). One, written in Russian, said all of Ukraine was under nuclear alert and that Oreshnik, Russia's nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, was in action. Ukraine's Air Force said the app had likely been compromised by the enemy, said there was no radiation threat and urged calm. The app's creators said unauthorized third parties interfered with it, and the service was temporarily suspended before being restored. Officials said air raid sirens were working properly. Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said its mobile app suffered a massive cyberattack that produced false nuclear alerts. The incidents came as a rare humanitarian ceasefire between the two sides ended. It is still unclear who is responsible or whether the two attacks are connected.

The New York Post leads with panic across both countries and the attribution angle. It notes the fake posts were full of spelling errors and mentioned a hacking group, Hitcore, and it cites Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with ties to security services, saying group representatives claimed responsibility. NBC News leads with the content of the alerts and the "dueling accusations," and places them against the end of the ceasefire and fears of intensified fighting rather than peace. In the portions provided, it quotes the Air Force and the app's creators and does not mention Hitcore. Both sides agree on the timeline, the Oreshnik message and the official denials. They differ in what they stress: the Post stresses who may be behind it, NBC the military and diplomatic backdrop. Semafor offers a distinct angle, tying the hacks to AI security worries alongside a cyberattack in Germany and a Pentagon contractor incident.