Nuclear radiation in Russia, Ukraine? No, just hacked warning alerts
Warnings startle people in Ukraine, but authorities say they cleared up the confusion in under an hour.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of hacking into systems used to send out emergency alerts to citizens, raising fears of a new escalation of digital and psychological warfare tactics.
The systems’ apps sent out radiation alerts on Sunday and Monday to civilians before officials issued public clarifications.
The fake threats began on the same day as a localised ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Kherson region came to an end on Sunday. The truce, which the United States said was brokered by first lady Melania Trump, is the longest so far in Russia’s more than four-year war on Ukraine. The ceasefire lasted for six days, during which humanitarian aid and evacuations were allowed in the Russian-occupied town of Olekshy.
Hours later on Monday morning, similar announcements came from Russia’s Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief, which said its warnings app came under a “massive cyberattack” and wrongly warned users of imminent drone attacks. The ministry did not name any suspects but said the alerts spread “false information”.