Hackers Spoof Emergency Alerts

Residents in Kyiv saw false warnings on their phones late Sunday. The alerts claimed radiation levels were dangerously high in the capital. Users also received messages about a chemical threat and public disturbances. These notifications were sent through a popular air raid app that millions rely on during missile strikes.

Ukrainian officials said unauthorized parties interfered with the app's operation. The service was temporarily suspended to stop the false messages. Authorities restored the app overnight. The fake alerts contained spelling and grammatical errors in English. Some messages were written in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian. One post mentioned the hacking group Hitcore.

A Russian Telegram channel called Mash said it spoke with Hitcore representatives. Those representatives claimed responsibility for the attack. The claim has not been independently verified. Ukraine's state-run Center for Countering Disinformation reported the breach. The center urged users to monitor emergency channels on social media. It advised people to rely on physical alerts while the issue was addressed.

Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s air force command, said the cyberattack did not impact security operations. The air raid app is separate from military command systems. Ihnat told the 1+1 television channel that the air force continues to report real-time threats. These reports go through independent communication channels, including social media platforms.

In Russia, officials reported a similar intrusion on Monday. Hackers gained access to the Russian Emergency Ministry's mobile app. They sent fake emergency alerts to users. The ministry did not name the group behind the attack. In a statement, the ministry said the wider public alert system was working normally.

The mobile app serves as a supplementary service for alerts. Primary alerts are shared through SMS messages, media broadcasts, and municipal sirens. The ministry reassured the public that these main channels remained functional during the breach.

Ukrainian authorities in the Kherson region reported multiple Russian drone attacks early Monday. These strikes occurred hours after a humanitarian ceasefire expired. The regional administration said a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were hospitalized with blast injuries in Kherson. The city is located across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory.

The localized ceasefire ended at midnight on Monday. The truce began on October 27 and was tied to a humanitarian aid mission in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. This pause in fighting was the most significant truce since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly five years ago. The White House said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped broker the limited truce.

Civilian negotiators from both sides also secured the pause. The agreement allowed besieged residents of Oleshky to evacuate in a joint operation that ended Saturday. An estimated 2,000 civilians were in Oleshky when the truce took effect. They could evacuate to Ukrainian or Russian controlled territory, or remain with replenished food and medical supplies. Exact evacuation totals were withheld to protect those who stayed.

Ukraine’s general staff said Russia bolstered its drone defenses during the ceasefire. Russian forces also replenished ammunition supplies in the area. In the eastern Kharkiv region, drone strikes injured 12 people. A refrigeration facility, greenhouses, and residential buildings were damaged. In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, five people were injured when a warehouse was targeted and homes were damaged.