Authorities in Ukraine and Russia said that mobile emergency alert apps were targeted by cyber-attacks late Sunday night, November 1, with users in Ukraine receiving false warnings about dangerously high radiation levels in Kyiv.
In Ukraine, the Telegram channel for air-attack alerts reported that unauthorized parties interfered with the app’s operation and that the service was temporarily suspended. Authorities stated that the system was restored during the early morning; the false alerts also mentioned a supposed chemical threat and public disturbances and contained errors, with text in English and a mix of Russian and Ukrainian.
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The spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force command, Yurii Ihnat, said that the cyberattack did not affect security and defense operations because the app is independent of the military command systems.
In Russia, authorities said on Monday that hackers sent false alerts after gaining access to the country’s Ministry of Emergency Situations app.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated that state bodies face a constant threat, including attacks that use artificial intelligence:
“All government agencies must take measures to improve the cybersecurity of our digital resources,” Peskov said. Source: Associated Press.
*Content translated with the aid of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast Editorial Team, the real-time news system of Grupo Estado
