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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Millions of people in Russia and Ukraine received fake emergency alerts late on Sunday, including for nuclear threats, as authorities in both countries said their warning systems had been hacked.
Ukraine's air alert app, which tells residents in Ukraine when they are at risk of Russian attacks, showed false warnings about radiation and chemical threats in Kyiv, followed by a "nuclear alert across Ukraine" shortly before 11 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST).
A false message said an Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile had been launched at the country. Ukraine's air force said the warning app had likely been "compromised" and denied claims of a radiation threat.
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A further message sent to Ukrainian users then claimed street fighting had broken out in the capital, warning: "Don't go outside."
Ukraine's government said all other emergency systems, like air raid sirens, were working as normal and urged residents to use the military's social media channels to track incoming threats.
Just hours later, Russia's emergency situations ministry said its mobile app had been targeted by "a massive cyberattack," broadcasting fake information to the Russian public.
Residents received false messages about the launch of "nuclear warheads" on Ukrainian P1-SUN drones, Russian media reported.
Images of the messages published by Russian sources, which appeared to be sent by regional authorities, show false warnings for "all regions of Russia," urging people to stock up on food and take shelter in basements.
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This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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