Threat watch / Attack
Ukraine and Russia: emergency alert apps hijacked to send fake nuclear warnings
On the night of November 1, Ukraine's Air Alert app sent fake radiation, chemical and street-fighting alerts. Hours later, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry app sent a fake nuclear warning across 33 regions. Both sides confirm the hacks and say their national warning systems kept working.
- Sector
- Government & politics
- Way in
- Not public yet
- Product or vendor
- Air Alert
- How it happened
- Not stated by either government. Ukraine's app developers say "unauthorized individuals interfered with the app's operation". Russia's ministry says it identified the vulnerability. A group called DC8044 claims it reached the Russian app through its API; this is its own claim, not verified.[1][2] Checked 8 Nov 2026
- What was stolen
- No data theft is reported. The harm is the use of the apps' push channel: in Ukraine, 122 fake alerts in about seven minutes according to Cybernews, in Russian, English and Ukrainian, one linking to a Telegram channel; in Russia, a false message that nuclear warheads had been launched at all regions.[1][3][4] Checked 8 Nov 2026
- Who was impacted
- Users of both apps. Ukraine's Air Alert, built by Ajax Systems, had 6.6 million active users in January 2026; how many received the fake alerts is not public. Russia's ministry says the false alert went out in 33 of its 89 regions.[1][2] Checked 8 Nov 2026
- Threat actor
- Not attributed. Hitcore Corp, a previously unknown group, claims the Ukrainian breach, according to The Record and AP (AP did not verify the claim). DC8044, a self-described Kyiv-based hacking community, claims the Russian one, according to The Record.
Timeline
- Around 22:47 Kyiv time, Ukraine's Air Alert app starts sending fake alerts: radiation in Kyiv, then a Russian-language nuclear warning, then chemical and street-fighting alerts. All-clears follow around 23:53. [3]
- Ukraine's Air Force says the app was "likely compromised by the enemy". The State Emergency Service says the national warning system works normally. The app is suspended. [1][2]
- Around 2:45 a.m. Moscow time, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry app sends a false nuclear alert across 33 regions. The ministry confirms the hack and says the public warning system "has not been affected". [1][2]
- Ukraine's app is gradually restored: push notifications are back, the map stays disabled for now, according to The Record. Russia is still restoring its app. [1][2]