Ukraine and Russia reported separate false emergency alerts after authorities said systems used to warn civilians had been compromised, creating a new episode of suspected cyber and psychological warfare on November 1 and 2.
Ukraine’s Air Force said its Air Alert app sent users in and around Kyiv warnings about nuclear and chemical threats, possible street fighting and the deployment of Russia’s Oreshnik missile. The force said there was no radiation threat and described the app as having been subjected to “enemy influence,” while Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications blamed Russia. The separate alert application created for Kyiv was reported to be functioning normally. Al Jazeera reports that the warnings appeared shortly after 10pm and were largely recognized as false within about half an hour.
Russia’s Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief later said its own warnings application had come under a “massive cyberattack” and had falsely warned users about imminent drone attacks. The ministry did not identify a suspect. Media reports cited by Al Jazeera said the messages falsely claimed that drones carrying nuclear warheads had been launched across Russia and urged people to stock food and hide.
The scope that is established is therefore the disruption of official alert channels in both countries, not a confirmed radiological or missile attack. A BBC account says Ukraine’s application issued nationwide air-raid and radiological alerts before Russia reported similar false warnings hours later, but adds that it remains unclear who was responsible and whether the incidents were connected. The BBC’s report also frames the cases as reported hacks rather than a confirmed attribution.
The episodes occurred amid continued fighting and heightened sensitivity around nuclear risks in Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. But the available reporting establishes false alerts and competing accusations—not a verified radiation release, operational missile deployment or identified perpetrator.