Russia’s emergency app warned 33 regions that nuclear warheads were in the air, and the whole thing was a hack

Hackers sent fake nuclear attack alerts through emergency warning apps in both Russia and Ukraine overnight Sunday into Monday, as reported by CNN. A fake alert went out to 33 Russian regions claiming that “NUCLEAR WARHEADS ON P1-SUN DELIVERY SYSTEMS have been launched across ALL regions of Russia,” hours after Ukraine’s public air raid app showed nuclear and chemical alerts for Kyiv.

Russia’s emergencies ministry, Emercom, said a “massive cyberattack” led to “the spread of false information to the public,” according to state news agency TASS. The fake message also included an expletive-laden warning. The ministry later said the app was operational again and that its specialists had “analyzed the incident and identified the vulnerability exploited by the attacker.”

In Ukraine, the fake messages claimed Kyiv and other areas were under nuclear and chemical alerts and warned of possible street combat. Another falsely stated that Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile had been deployed. Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram, “The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence,” adding, “There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!”

Both apps are back online, but trust took a hit

Stepan Tanasiychuk, who leads Ukraine’s Air Raid Alert project, said Monday the app was gradually returning to normal, with new yellow and red alert levels visible on the map. He said on Instagram that his team is “taking additional measures to secure the app in order to prevent similar situations in the future,” acknowledging the “unnecessary worry and inconvenience this has caused.” The app had recently been updated to show drone movements in real time.

Emercom said alerts are usually sent through regional systems such as sirens, loudspeakers, SMS messages, and media broadcasts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “All electronic resources belonging to our government agencies are under constant threat of cyberattacks,” adding, “As technologies, including AI, continue to evolve, the threat of cyberattacks is growing.”

Many users did not appear to believe the fake messages, and some said the incident undermined their trust in official warnings. One Russian user reportedly deleted the Emercom app, saying, “How can they leave apps like this vulnerable? It’s complete nonsense, of course, but what if it weren’t?” In Kyiv, one resident responded to the fake street fighting alert by posting, “Good thing our mayor is a boxer.”

The hacks come as Moscow and Kyiv continue to exchange strikes, and a Russian drone recently hit a Kyiv apartment block. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on X that the US would mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 10 to 11. He added that American negotiators would also meet representatives from France, Germany, the UK, the EU, and NATO in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Witkoff’s announcement came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 26 people were killed in an “utterly horrific” Russian aerial bomb attack, which he said targeted a school used for humanitarian purposes in the village of Komyshuvakha, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. Zelensky wrote on X, “There must be a response to this, a response from the world. A strong and tough response.”