Nuclear radiation scare: hacked warning alerts unsettle people in Russia and Ukraine
False alerts unsettle residents
The fake messages in Ukraine appeared shortly after 10pm (20:00 GMT) on Sunday, according to Macalpine. They warned of possible street combat and claimed Russia had deployed its hypersonic Oreshnik missile.
One alert told people there was no radiation threat and urged them to stay calm and follow updates on the channel. Authorities said the confusion was resolved in under an hour.
Russia reports cyberattack
On Monday morning, Russia’s Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief said its warnings app had suffered a “massive cyberattack”. The ministry said users were wrongly warned of imminent drone attacks and that the messages contained “false information”.
The ministry did not identify anyone it suspected. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of hacking systems used to send emergency alerts.
Alerts amid wider tensions
The fake warnings began on the day a local ceasefire ended in the Russian-occupied Kherson region. The United States said first lady Melania Trump brokered the six-day truce, which allowed humanitarian aid and evacuations in the occupied town of Olekshy.
Cyberwarfare has featured in previous confrontations between the countries. Both have also repeatedly attacked positions held by the other, with Russia targeting Ukrainian-held Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine striking Russian-held areas, including Enerhodar.
Chornobyl’s lasting legacy
The radiation warning carried particular weight in a region marked by the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The plant, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Republic, exploded and released radioactive material; radiation was detected as far away as Sweden.
The explosion killed scores of people, while thousands later developed serious health problems, including thyroid cancer. Chornobyl is regarded as one of history’s two worst nuclear accidents, alongside the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, and the town remains evacuated.
Key points
- Ukraine’s false alerts warned of radiation, street combat and a Russian missile deployment.
- Authorities said there was no radiation threat and confusion was cleared up in under an hour.
- Russia’s emergency ministry reported a cyberattack that sent false drone warnings.
- The incidents came as a ceasefire ended and amid continuing accusations and attacks between the countries.